MUSKET FOR THE KING'S MILITARY HOUSE, 1814 model, First Restoration. 30030

MUSKET OF THE KING'S MILITARY HOUSEHOLD, model 1814, First Restoration. 30030

Octagonal breech then fully blued round barrel, stamped with the Charleville Manufacture mark at the breech in gold “P” under the star of the Charleville inspector Jean-Nicolas Pache (1814-1815), “B” in an oval for the barrel controller at Charleville from 1806 to 1821 Étienne Breuil, and an illegible stamp; adorned with gold damascened decorations, engraved with a garland pattern on the breech, and a Musketeers cross with the inscription "Musketeers of the King's Guard", barrel length 93.6 cm, length with the buttplate 100 cm. Calibre 17.1 mm.
Flintlock mechanism stamped “B No. 1” surrounded by a laurel wreath of Pierre Bouny, first-class controller at Charleville from 1807 to 1817, signed “BOUNY 1st controller”, brass drum pan; buttplate with a setback.
Walnut stock with a long shaft, acceptance mark of the manufacture on the stock, oval-shaped with the letters "MRC"; marking "ART VIS" on the stock.
All fittings in brass alloy known as “gold of Manheim”, fixed to the stock by steel springs, iron side plates.
Brass trigger guard cut and engraved in the shape of a fleur-de-lis at the front of the trigger guard and on the lower part of the buttplate.
Guilloché iron screws on the counterplate and the lock.
Iron ramrod.
Total length of the musket 134.3 cm.

Socket bayonet in iron, length of the blade 40.5 cm, total length 48 cm.

France.
First Restoration.
Very good condition; barrel, springs, and sling swivels reblued, gold inscription on the barrel redone at a later date.

PROVENANCE:
Former collection of Jean-Louis NOIZIER, Master Osenat in Fontainebleau, October 8, 2023, lot 61.

NOTE:
We are aware of four examples of this musket.

In his book on firearms, Jean Boudriot mentions an identical musket to the one presented today preserved at the Army Museum, with the same engravings and the same stamps of Pierre Bouny. He concludes that it is a standard model-type musket. He mentions the existence of a second musket stored at the Saint-Étienne Manufacture, a similar musket but with a barrel lacking the Musketeers cross engraving - it simply bears the inscription "Musketeers of the King" - with the gold damascening not done. The lock plate of this second musket is signed "Royal Manufacture of Saint-Étienne."

A third example of this musket, with the same controller markings of Pierre Bouny, was presented by expert Charles Marchal at the 1st Biennale des Antiquaires at the Municipal Casino in Cannes from April 7 to 18, 1977, stand 15, illustrated on page 35 of the catalog.