Designs for the Decoration of the Frizzen and Jaws of the Cock of a Firearm
ca. 1797–1805
Medium
Pencil, ink, gray wash on paper
Dimensions
3 1/2 x 1 1/2 in. (8.9 x 3.8 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
2004.101.8
Tags
Art Historical Context
Nicolas Noël Boutet, a master gunsmith based in Versailles, created this delicate drawing around 1797–1805 as a working design for the ornamental details on a flintlock firearm. The sheet focuses on two small but essential components—the frizzen and the jaws of the cock—showing how even functional parts of a weapon could be transformed into miniature works of art. Produced during the turbulent years bridging the French Revolution and the Napoleonic era, the design reflects the continued prestige of Versailles as a center of luxury craftsmanship under shifting political regimes. Executed in pe...
About the Artist
Nicolas Noël Boutet · 1761–1833
French, Versailles and Paris, 1761–1833