PAIR OF PISTOLS OF HONOUR OFFERED BY THE FIRST CONSUL TO GENERAL DE DISION MONNIER (1758 - 1816) Chased flat-bodied plates signed BOUTET director artist. Flat-bodied swan-neck dogs and batteries decorated with flowers and foliage. Octagonal and slightly octagonal and slightly blunderbuss. They are marked in cursive letters on the side panels "BOUTET DIRECTEUR ARTISTE" and "MANUFACTURE A VERSAILLES". Entirely blued, finely chased and gilded at the mouth and on the first half decorated with trophies, geometric shapes and radiating sunbursts. Unidentified barrels stamped "LC", "BC" and a group of six unidentified barrels. as well as a group of six letters in a rectangular cartouche rectangular cartouche bordered by dots, probably BOUTET (flattened lettering). Polished and chased iron and chased iron. Checkered walnut stocks, all fittings in solid silver. Oblong caps with sides showing an antique helmet. decorated with an antique weapon trophy and a lion skin. and a lion skin. Piece of shaft with sword and iron of iron. Silver hallmarks: first cock, first title, medium guarantee Paris and unidentified silversmith J.M. All screws guilloche. Bone chopsticks, one damaged. Accident to a hammer. Good mechanics. France, late 18th, early 19th century. Total length: 35 cm Original wooden case covered with green morocco and marked on the lid "Cn. MONNIER Général de Division". It is trimmed with green felt and gold trimmings (faded), with four compartments and compartments for pistols and accessories. In the "false red Russian morocco gilt with roulette offers the text offers the text "LE PREMIER CONSUL AU GENERAL DE DIVISION MONNIER EN RECOMPENSE DES OUTSTANDING SERVICES RENDERED TO THE REPUBLIC ARRETE DU 28 GERMINAL AN 8". Complete with its oil cruet in faceted iron, ball mould in white polished iron, screw and blued shaft, two mallets and chopsticks, horn powder flask and screwdriver. The tamping tool is missing. Presence of an old railway transport document for "9 antique guns". Wear and tear, small accidents and key missing. France, Consulate period. Size: 53.5 / 27.5 / 8.5 cm PROVENANCE - Roger de Montégudet Collection (1880 - 1925) - By descent to this day. Extract from the notebooks of the sabretache "a letter from the Minister of War Carnot to the Journal militaire, 28 germinal year VIII, attributes to General Monnier a suit of armour (read weapon) from Versailles. This weapon was at the retrospective; it bears no inscription and General Monnier is not mentioned as entering the cohorts. cohorts. JEAN-CHARLES MONNIER (1758 - 1816) Enlisted in 1789 as a volunteer in the National Guard, where he served until where he served until 1792. On that date, he was appointed second lieutenant in the 7th infantry regiment, assistant to the staff and posted to a camp on the outskirts of Paris. Promoted to brigadier general on 23 April 1796, he soon distinguished himself at the Battle of Rivoli, before taking an active part in the Tyrol campaign. Tyrol campaign. After the peace of Campo-Formio, he was appointed commander of Ancona. He took part in the Naples expedition to Naples, capturing the fortress of Civitella on 8 December, then of Pescara on the 24th. He inflicted several defeats on the Neapolitan Neapolitan troops, but was seriously wounded during the attack on the suburb of the Madeleine in Naples. Shortly afterwards, he took over the government of Ancona. A revolt broke out in the region, spreading rapidly. With limited forces, Monnier tried to put down the uprising. Finally besieged in the town, he resisted until his resources were exhausted. He He was forced to capitulate, but won the honours of war. Exchanged for the Austrian general Lusignan, he was promoted to general division on 15 ventôse an VIII (6 March 1800). He then took command of a head of a division of the reserve army. On 31 May 1800, he crossed the Ticino, captured Turbigo in a daring assault and marched on Milan. Placed under the orders of General Desaix, he took part in the battle of Marengo. At Castel-Ceriolo, he stood up to superior Austrian forces and retreated in an orderly manner orderly retreat, despite repeated attacks by enemy cavalry. At 4 p.m., with the arrival of the Desaix division, he was ordered to advance Castel-Ceriolo and pursued the enemy to the river Bormida. Bormida river. He then led an expedition against Tuscany, took Arezzo, then joined General Brune on the Mincio. After four successive assaults, he managed to capture Pozzolo and laid siege to Verona. During the Empire, to which he strongly opposed, Monnier was not employed. It was not until the Restoration, on 12 June 1814, that he was recalled to the service of to the service of King Louis XVIII. He was made a knight of Saint-Louis. During the Hundred Days campaign in 1815, he was given command of the of the Royal Army of the Midi, under the orders of the Duc d'Angoulême. After Napoleon regained power, he left France and only returned France and did not return until after Waterloo. On 17 August 1815, Monnier was made a peer of France and created a count. In December, at the trial of Marshal Ney, he voted in favour of the death penalty. He died of apoplexy a month later a month later, in January 1816. PROVENANCE : - Roger de Montégudet collection (1880-1925) - by descent to this day.