Fancy French Blunderbuss, c1750
A luxuriously decorated blunderbuss featuring extensive silver and gold relief work throughout. The weapon exemplifies high-end civilian firearms of the mid-18th century, with elaborate decorative motifs combining military themes and ornamental designs. The piece demonstrates the sophisticated metalworking capabilities of the Saint-Étienne gunmaking industry during this period.
Trophies of War
The maker's mark of Louis Lamotte is located on the lock below the frizzen spring. The firearm is extensively decorated with “trophies of war” — a decorative style that became popular in European military and civilian arms during the 17th and 18th centuries. These trophies consist of artistically arranged groupings of military equipment and symbols: crossed flags and standards, military drums, stacked cannonballs, and field cannons, integrated with elaborate floral scrollwork, wreaths, cornucopias, and fruit clusters.
Saint-Étienne
This luxury blunderbuss represents the high-end firearms production of Saint-Étienne, France, a major arms manufacturing center since the 16th century. The city was so renowned for arms production that it was briefly renamed “Armeville” during the French Revolution (1789-1799).
| Type: | Blunderbuss |
| Maker: | Louis Lamotte, Saint-Étienne |
| Date: | c1750 |
| Action: | Flintlock |
| Loading: | Muzzle-loading |
| Overall Length: | 32 inches |
| Weight: | 1 pound |
References
- Vol. I, p. 241 Le Qui est qui de l'arme en France de 1350 à 1970