Design for the Decoration of the Barrel Tang Surround of a Firearm
ca. 1797–1805
Medium
Pencil, ink, gray wash on paper
Dimensions
3 7/8 x 1 7/8 in. (9.8 x 4.8 cm)
Classification
Works on Paper-Drawings
Culture
French, Versailles
Department
Arms and Armor
Museum
Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, NY
Credit
Purchase, Clay P. Bedford Gift, 2004
Accession Number
2004.101.41
Tags
Art Historical Context
This delicate drawing, titled *Design for the Decoration of the Tang Surround of a Firearm*, comes from the hand of Nicolas Noël Boutet the renowned French gunsmith director of the Manufacture impériale d’armes at Versailles during the Napoleonic era (ca. 1797–1805). Created amid France's transition from Revolution to Empire, it exemplifies the opulent firearm artistry of the time, when weapons were not just tools of war but symbols of prestige and technical mastery. Boutet's workshop produced exquisite arms for Napoleon and the elite, blending functionality with lavish ornamentation. Rendere...
About the Artist
Nicolas Noël Boutet · 1761–1833
French, Versailles and Paris, 1761–1833