Pair of Designs for the Decoration of the Grips of Pocket Pistols
ca. 1797–1805
Medium
Pencil, ink, gray wash on paper
Dimensions
3 1/4 x 7 1/4 in. (8.3 x 18.4 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
2004.101.55
Tags
Art Historical Context
In the opulent world of Napoleonic France, Nicolas Noël Boutet reigned as the master gunsmith the Manufacture impériale d’ blanches de Versailles. This pair of designs, created around 1797–1805, showcases his exquisite preparatory drawings for decorating the grips of pocket pistols—compact, elegant firearms favored by officers and elites. Rendered in pencil, ink, and subtle wash on paper, these works (each 3¼ x 7¼ inches) bridge artistry and armament, transforming deadly tools into symbols of power and prestige. Boutet’s motifs—fierce lions, noble horse heads, and expressive faces—evoke class...
About the Artist
Nicolas Noël Boutet · 1761–1833
French, Versailles and Paris, 1761–1833