PAIR OF PISTOLS Set including a pair of high-end flintlock pistols signed by Prévoteau Jeune, late Consulate, First Empire

TEMPTATION° 4
Thursday, June 11, 2026 - 6:00 PM
Drouot - Room 9

EXHIBITION
Tuesday, June 9, and Wednesday, June 10, from 11:00 AM to 6:00 PM
and Thursday, June 11, from 11:00 AM to 4:00 PM
Phone during exhibition +33(0) 1 48 00 20 09

GIQUELLO
Alexandre Giquello
Violette Stcherbatcheff
5, rue La Boétie - 75008 Paris
+33 (0)1 47 42 78 01 - info@giquello.net
o.v.v. approval no. 2002 389

CONTACT
Arthur Calcet
+33 (0)6 85 91 45 64
a.calcet@giquello.net

EXPERTS
Bertrand Croissy, CNES.
Bertrand Malvaux, CNES.

Estimate: 100,000 to 200,000 euros

Lot no. 8 (from the sale)
PAIR OF PISTOLS
Necessary case containing a pair of luxury flintlock pistols
signed Prévoteau Jeune, late Consulate, First Empire

Very good condition.
H. 9 cm – L. 47 cm – D. 47 cm (case)
100,000/200,000 €

PROVENANCE:
- Collection assembled around 1920

Octagonal barrels, in pickled and blued steel
imitating velvet, rifled, 15mm caliber,
slightly flared at their muzzles. The three
upper facets are gold damascened, with a decoration of
branches on a background of scattered stars. Golden
muzzle in full, engraved with lozenges and palm leaves; polished steel sights,
adjustable, dovetail-mounted. Thunderbolts marked,
fully gold-engraved with lozenges, fleurons and geometric patterns;
leaf sights.
Butt caps are polished steel, engraved with
foliage, acanthus leaves and oak branches.

Flash pans made of polished steel with flat bodies, chiseled at the back with seven superimposed flutings, engraved
with laurel branches and foliage on a gold background; they are signed: "PREVOTEAU JN. A
PARIS / RUE DU BOULOY"; screws in chiseled steel with flowers; swan-necked cocks engraved and chiseled with foliage on a gold
background, frizzens with open palmate decoration and flowers on a gold background, as well
as the battery; roller springs; pans with gold-plated bottoms and steel bodies engraved with rays on
a gold background; adjustable triggers.

Silver fittings with gilded amati grounds, in round relief, chiseled, stamped with marks underneath (similar to those of Boutet for
award weapons).
Trigger guard decorated with the Nemean lion, an antique breastplate, fasces of lictors and flags with
winged laurel wreath.
Ramrod pipes: ramrod entry in the form of a sword with scalloped shield, acanthus leaves and
floral garland, and two fluted loops following. Octagonal silver pommel caps chiseled with a
high-relief ancient helmet bordered by a raised heart motif molding.
Backplate in two pieces of cut and engraved silver with a head and bat wings motif.

Walnut stocks finely carved on each face; handles carved with scaled backgrounds adorned in the center with a
medallion depicting the mask of Medusa on one side, and on the other the mask of Mercury, both in carved boxwood. The lower parts are octagonal in shape, bordered by a beaded molding with a leafy
garland, carved with branches, with two back-to-back cock heads on each side.
Barrels adorned around the breeches with a molding of water leaves. Side plates framed with a braid and on
the rear part with spiderwebs and acanthus leaves. On top of the handles, a flat molding edged
with beaded strips, relief-carved with an alternation of flowers and stars.
Between the trigger guards at the front of the undersides and the ramrod entries, a Nemean lion mask attached in carved boxwood. Along the barrels, raised heart motifs, and beaded moldings at the ramrod pipes.

Ramrods of purpleheart wood with a polished steel tip embellished with a polished steel disk.

L. of barrels 212 mm – Overall L. 342 mm

Mahogany case with brass corners, equipped with two retractable handles; the center of the lid
is embellished with a coat of arms, the interior has two brass hinges to keep it open; trifoliate lock. Interior lined with green velvet and adorned with golden trim on the periphery of the pistols and accessories, in
the corners, four small compartments for accessories, two triangular and two rectangular, with wooden buttons to open them; this case is fitted with all its accessories, made of precious woods,
silver and polished steel: bullet mold, screwdriver, oil box, three ramrods, blonde horn powder flask with silver mount, hammer, mallet, and pin. 47 x 29 x 9 cm.

Very good condition
Hallmarks on thunderbolts illegible, covered by gold.
Key for the case is missing, as well as a very small accessory.

HALLMARKS:
- Silversmith: "FAC" Courant Furcy Antoine (Father), founder
and cutler 26, rue de la Lanterne Paris; stamped
1798.
- Association of silversmiths, woman's head, Paris after
1797.

HISTORICAL:
The Prévoteau family were renowned gunsmiths, from the mid-18th century, up to the Restoration, including Prévoteau Jeune and Prévoteau l'Aîné.
This case was made by Prévoteau Jeune, gunsmith in Paris, 5 rue du Bouloy, in the year XII (September 24, 1803/September 25, 1804), then at No. 1, from 1810 to 1815, according to trade almanacs.
His brother, Nicolas Charles, known as Prévoteau l'Aîné, was a gunsmith from 1783 to 1825. He became a master artisan in 1783, at 1790, rue Honoré (during the Revolution, the "Saint" disappeared); then at 5 rue du Bouloy (La Tynna in 1898); the two brothers worked at the same address for a time, then Nicolas Charles opened a shop at 1424 rue Saint-Honoré, which became 270 rue Saint-Honoré.
This brother worked with Biennais, who was not far from him (281/283 rue Saint-Honoré), both related through their wives, which facilitated their collaboration.
In a private collection, there is a beautiful double-barreled flintlock hunting rifle signed: "PRÉVOTEAU L'AÎNÉ", with silver fittings hallmarked by BIENNAIS. This rifle was presented at the exhibition: "Martin Guillaume BIENNAIS, the Emperor of Silversmiths", at the Caillebotte Museum in Yerres, between July and October 2021, the former residence of Mrs. widow BIENNAIS.