Important sabre presented by the officers of the 4th Belgian regiment of line infantry to Colonel Leboutte (1833). Handle with mother-of-pearl plates engraved with foliate scrolls and trophies with eyelet. Gilt brass mounting, hilt with a chain and double guilloche rings. The crosspiece has two diamond-shaped fittings and two bulbous fittings. Curved blade with flat back, engraved with gold "Jb Rougé fils Fabt d'armes Liège" and hollow sides. Blade fully engraved, 5/6 blued, gilt decorated with trophies of arms, scrolls and cartouches engraved "Les officiers du 4e Regt" "Au colonel Leboutte", the last 6th engraved damascus style with background of crown of laurel and oak leaves. Sheet metal scabbard (pitted and slightly missing) signed en suite "JB RONGE FILS A LIEGE SEPTEMBRE 1833". Chappe entrance decorated with foliage, two bracelets in vermeil decorated with lion, trophies, masks of Appolon and foliage dart, in chased vermeil. A.B.E. (accidents and missing mother-of-pearl plates, oxidation of the scabbard). Biography : Jean-François-Nicolas LEBOUTTE (1784-1867). He served in the Imperial Guard under the Empire, then as an officer in the infantry of the line. He joined the young Belgian army as a lieutenant-colonel on 23 October 1830. He took part in the Ten Days' Campaign of 1831 and had his horse killed under him at the Battle of Louvain on 12 August 1831. He was also wounded by machine-gun fire to the right hand. Honorary aide-de-camp to the King on 22 September 1831. He was made an Officer of the Legion of Honour on 22 July 1836 by Louis-Philippe. Major General on 19 April 1841. Retired on 20 January 1856. Medal of Saint Helena. He ended his career as Lieutenant-General, having taken part in a total of 16 campaigns during his lifetime (information taken from a biography by D. Timmermans).