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The book states: “For ‘Armes de luxe’ Paris has long maintained supremacy over all competitors: the names of Devisme and Le Page Moutier are
of world-wide note; to which follow worthily in suit Gastinne-Renette, Gaudin, Brun, Perrin, and Thomas, all of whom obtained the highest commendation of the Jury in Class 11.” The jury report noted: “The sporting guns and the pistols exhibited by the Paris makers are chiefly remarkable for the extreme artistic beauty of their decorations, which are designed and executed with the greatest skill and taste, the ornamental parts of the gun being highly valued in France, and in other countries, to which the French gunmakers export largely, especially South America.” The gun illustrated in the book is now in the Royal Armouries (object number: XII.4751), and their description notes: “The gun was exhibited at the 1862 International Exhibition in South Kensington and was awarded
a medal. A similar gun was presented to the President of Mexico, Don Manuel Gonzales, by M. Paul Jules Grevy, President of France, in 1879.”
The Damascus barrels by Parisian barrel maker Leopold Bernard feature a solid concave rib signed “LE PAGE MOUTIER ARQer BREVETE A PARIS” in raised relief lettering with floral bloom accents flanked by raised foliate scrollwork. The rear of the barrels exhibit 9 inch panels of beautifully
executed chiseled vine, leaf, and grape patterns on a finely beaded background, and there is a band of chiseled oak leaves and acorns at
the front of the breech panels. A chiseled scroll pattern incorporating a beautifully carved three dimensional fox covers the fences and extends down the sides of the barrel breeches, and the hammers are finely chiseled in the form of dogs that pounce on each fox when the gun is fired as well as pierced scroll patterns. The breech hook and standing breech are numbered “998.” The standing breech also features foliage scrollwork and has a chiseled vulture. The underside of the barrels are signed “LEOPOLD BERNARD/CANONNIER A PARIS” and have the numbers “N998” and “A1860” (barrel number and date) and two “crown/LB star” maker’s marks. The rib is marked “57445 - 1850” on the underside. The two steel ramrod pipes also feature chiseled floral scrollwork, and the ramrod features coordinating embellishment on the ends.
The locks and furniture feature the same high quality work as the barrels and are embellished en suite and feature a variety of intricate motifs. The back action lock plates are fully covered in a foliage scroll chiseled patterns with game scenes; the left lock plate has a lion and a snake reminiscent of the famous sculpture by Antoine-Louis Barye, and the
right lock plate has two dogs attacking a stag. Both lock plates are signed “Lepage moutier” following the contour of the hammers in the half-cock position at the front. Foliate scrollwork continues on the ornate buttplate side extensions and buttplate tang and include carved game scenes; the right side of the buttplate has a leopard, the left side of the buttplate has a leaping fox, and the heel tang has three dogs bringing down a boar. The flat of the buttplate has an engraved floral scroll and rose blossom motif with a small satyr mask in the center. The handsomely chiseled and pierced trigger guard incorporates a three dimensional pheasant eating grapes at the front of the bow and a three dimensional hare consuming foliage at the rear of the grip extension. The trigger plate finial is artfully shaped and features chiseled foliage scrollwork with a small bird on the finial. A carved steel raised inlay adorns the sides of the stock. Each stock inlay is engraved with a foliate pattern, and the left inlay is inscribed “Le Page Moutier ferit 1860” indicating the work was completed in 1860.
The forearm tip has a carved mask representing Silenus, the god of wine-making, with a grape vine pattern below. The barrel wedge and escutcheons are adorned en suite with the rest of the metalwork.
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