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Barnebys HQ
Brahegatan 10
BOX 5038
114 37 Stockholm
All auctions / Medals, Arms & Armor / CARON, the King’s arquebusier, A pair of duelling pistols in a case
From a Peer to his son, a duellist and philologist Caron, arquebusier to the King. A pair of duelling pistols in a case. Numbered 1 & 2 on the breech and fully chiselled, with recessed and damascened amati. Front plates decorated with salamanders and foliage; damage to the plate of No. 1 – the trigger tail is missing. Barrels marked on the upper surface ‘CARON ARQer DU ROI. PASSAGEDE L’OPERA.20.’ and ‘ACIER FONDU’ on the lower surface. They are engraved in the same style as the frames, with a mascaron on the lower third of the barrel and a griffin’s head on the trigger guard. Fluted and carved ebony stocks; damage to pistol No. 2. All iron fittings are richly decorated; the trigger guards are adorned with nude figures in the Renaissance style, along with phoenixes and concave caps. The counter-plate screws are guilloché-engraved. Overall length: 42 cm Category D firearms. Black lacquered wooden case with inlays of cut and chiselled metal leaf. Central plaque inscribed with ‘TL’ beneath a marquis’s crown, for Théodose de Lagrené (1800–1862), father of Edmond de Lagrené, known as ‘The Philologist Duelist’ (1842–1909). Some chipping to the plating. Interior with a compartment lined with green velvet; an anchor-shaped stamp is present in the powder box compartment. Complete with its accessories: articulated, chiselled and blued bullet mould; powder and primer box; powder spoon; mallet; loading rods; breech-loader/screwdriver; powder spoon. Lid marked ‘CARON ARQUEBUSIER DU ROIPASSAGE DE L’OPERA 20 PARIS’. Dimensions: 46/24/7 cm. CARON Alphonse, Arquebusier to the King (1839–1852). Master Gunsmith in Paris in 1839, 1844 and 1849. In 1855, he exhibited luxury firearms in Paris (Universal Exhibition, Musée de l’Armée). Worked as a gunsmith in 1844 at MARQUIS, Galerie du Baromètre, 20 Passage de l’Opéra and Boulevard des Italiens. Numerous patents: 1844 (rifle hammer with movable head), 1846 (cap-and-ball pistol), 1849 (crossbow rifle), 1859 (rifle system) and 1858 (cleaning cord). London Exhibition in 1851 (Price Medal) and 1862. Paris Exhibition in 1855 (First Class Medal). – Galerie du Baromètre, 20, Passage de l’Opéra – J1, J3, A4, C6, ‘Who’s Who’ of French Arms, Vol. 1, page 89. Théodose de Lagrené, Peer of France, His mission to China Théodose de Lagrené (1800–1862) was a French diplomat who joined the Foreign Office in 1822. After serving as embassy secretary in Saint Petersburg and then Minister Plenipotentiary in Greece, he was appointed Commander of the Legion of Honour in 1842. From 1843 to 1846, he led a diplomatic and commercial mission to China, organised jointly by the Ministries of the Navy and Foreign Affairs. This mission was decided upon against the backdrop of China’s opening up to Western trade, following the Treaty of Nanking signed between Great Britain and China in 1842. France sought to secure similar commercial advantages, notably access to new Chinese ports. The embassy left Brest on 12 December 1843 and arrived in Macao in August 1844. Its members included Charles de Montigny, the future consul in Shanghai and Ningbo; Jules Itier, who was in charge of the commercial mission; and Father Joseph-Marie Callery, the interpreter. Trade delegates specialising in cotton, woollen goods, silks and Parisian goods also joined the mission. Negotiations with the Chinese representative Qi-ying led to the signing of the Treaty of Whampoa on 24 October 1844, aboard the Archimède. This treaty opened five Chinese ports to French trade: Canton, Fou-Tchou, Amouï, Ning-Po and Chang-haï. It also granted Catholic missionaries the right to spread their religion. The treaty was finally ratified on 31 December 1845. Beyond its diplomatic objective, the mission pursued significant commercial and industrial interests. The delegates studied Chinese raw materials, products and techniques. They were particularly interested in silks, lacquerware, jade objects and paintings. They collected samples and brought back a substantial collection of drawings depicting Chinese agricultural and industrial processes. These observations were compiled in a *Practical Study of China’s Export Trade*, published in 1849. This work reflects France’s desire to gain a better understanding of Chinese products in order to develop trade and discover new industrial techniques. After his return to France, Théodose de Lagrené withdrew from political life following the coup d’état of 1849. He became a member of the board of directors of the Chemin de fer du Nord and died in 1862. Edmond de Lagrené, ‘THE philologist-duellist’ (owner of the pistols by descent). Edmond de Lagrené was a French diplomat known for his reputation as a feared duellist. In 1861, whilst studying in Bonn, he killed his opponent in a duel and was forced to seek refuge in Spa, Belgium, to escape prosecution. This event helped to forge his image as a man committed to the codes of honour and aristocracy. His reputation is also illustrated by an anecdote recounted by Léon Daudet in his literary memoirs. At the Brasserie Weber on Rue Royale in Paris, a misunderstanding arose between Edmond de Lagrené and Marcel Proust, which nearly led to a duel. Following a verbal altercation, Lagrené declared: ‘Gentlemen, please be aware that I never had the slightest intention of insulting Mr Proust. Moreover, I do not know him, but this habit of keeping his head close to his cap makes him rather likeable to me.’ Thanks to the intervention of their mutual friend, Robert de Flers, the two men eventually reconciled. This anecdote bears witness to the importance of duels and codes of honour in Parisian high society at the time, whilst also illustrating Lagrené’s character. Meanwhile, Edmond pursued a diplomatic career, notably in China and Bolivia. He died in Paris on 13 February 1909, never having married. Expert: Alban Degrave
Estimate:$5,670.28
To the auctionView all items fromAguttesorMedals, Arms & Armor
Estimate:
$5,670.28
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