A RARE 20 BORE FLINTLOCK DOUBLE BARREL SPORTING GUN BY NICOLAS-NOEL BOUTET CIRCA 1800

It has become difficult to find original flintlock examples of sporting guns by Boutet as many of his more ‘restrained’ works were converted to percussion. This 20 bore double barrel original  flintlock has smooth bore 33.5" rust blued barrels with central concave rib engraved ‘Boutet Directeur Artiste Manufacture a Versailles’.  Marks of  ‘Manu’ and ‘V lles’ engraved under the breech,  muzzle with notch under for ramrod retention, blade fore sight within typical Boutet circle/dot engraving.  Makers poincon stamps to breech, replicated on each barrel, "LC” for barrel-maker Jean Nicolas Le Clerc (Neue Støckel  3741),   Boutet in rectangular poincon (Neue Støckel 96 used 1805-1814?) and indistinct NB mark. Further matching engraved lines of circles to breech. Platinum touch holes. Ramrod made from Baleen, probably original, with captive worm which unscrews and then screws back onto ramrod in capture position. Single barrel wedge.

All iron mounts comprising buttplate, scrolled triggerguard and ramrod pipes Including multi faceted front pipe - all with superb engraving including screw heads - see photos. 

Bevel edged, border line engraved locks curved at tail (a lovely sign of quality) both with internal oval mark of DB within a wreath/fronds - the mark of Daniel Bouyssavy, Director of Manufacture (Inspector) at Versailles between 1795 and 1808 (Boutet was the Technical Director). Bouyssavy was detached from Versailles to Liege between 1805-1807 returning to Versailles in 1807 and leaving again in 1808 to take up a similar post at Mauberge.  Left hand lock marked BOUTET DIRECTEUR ARTISTE, right hand lock marked MANUFACTURE A VERSAILLES. Both locks with fine quality engraving to lockplate, flintcocks and matching frizzens. Excellent strong actions.  

Figured Walnut stock with shaped chequered panels, horn fore end. Lock inletting is a work of art In itself with even a tapered part carved from solid following the line of the lock spring. Leather cheekpiece to shoulder of stock mounted with silver retaining band. Wood to metal fit is excellent with minimal shrinkage. There is no visible serial number on this gun which is not unusual as not all Boutets were numbered. Estimate of circa 1800 based upon dating evidence of other examples of known date but range could be 1798-1809 and BOUTET poincon combined with DB inspectors mark could point to a date of manufacture between 1807-08. See below. 

Overall length 49.75”

Iron mounts remain in the white and are unpolished. Some wear to lock pans. All engraving is crisp. Top jaw screw to left hand lock shows signs of repair and top jaws are plain, otherwise all looks very original and matching. Front sling swivel absent. Stock is original and has wear marks but remains solid. Barrels have been re-blued with correct rust blue, minor imperfections.  No gold remains on the barrel - there may have been gold leaf within makers marks and applied around dotted/circles at breech and foresight. Sometimes these more restrained examples have extensive blocks of gold leaf applied for first few inches of breech as well. This could be re-instated by an expert. Barrel bores are clean but show signs of use commensurate with wear on pans. This gun has been well used - not just a status symbol. Overall superb quality yet restrained. 

Nicolas Noël Boutet (1761-1833) is without question the premier French gun-maker of all time. Throughout the French Revolution and Napoleonic period Boutet was the principal innovator and artist. His work is greatly undervalued when compared to other forms of art. Nicholas Noël Boutet was named Directeur-Artiste of the newly formed Versailles Arms Manufactory in 1792. The luxurious firearms started being produced soon after, around 1794, from his Versailles manufactory and were commissioned for presentation to Marshals of France as well as Royalty elsewhere in Europe and beyond. His presentation firearms and swords can be see in many of the most famous institutions worldwide today such as the Metropolitan Museum of Art, the Wallace Collection, Royal Armouries as well as Royal gunrooms and Palaces.

As a database of serial numbers and years of manufacture does not appear to exist for Boutet, the dating of this particular Boutet is approximated to circa 1800 but could be from 1798-1809. The  Metropolitan Museum of Art has a Boutet Rifle which they date circa.1800 which has number 55 on its side  (Accession Number:1970.179.1a–q). Hallmarks on that rifle date the silver to the period 1798-1809. A pair of Boutet pistols in a private collection carry the same DB inspectors mark and can be dated to 1802. Other dating characteristics when comparing to other Boutet such as shown in Herbert J. Houze, "Versailles Civilian Presentations by Boutet”, in Man at Arms magazine, February 2014, p 29, give rise to dating evidence of manufacture between 1798-1809.

This is a rare original flintlock Boutet available at well below the price of his more sophisticated presentation arms and a fine investment which can be admired for his artistry. It is superbly balanced and points well as you would expect