Rare and beautiful set of a Guard of Honour of the city of Lyon (1802-1814), known as "the Guard of Honour of His Majesty the Emperor". -Sabre of the Guards of Honour of the city of Lyon of the type of the Chasseurs à cheval de la Garde. Handle covered in basane with filigree. Brass mounting. Long-tailed cap. Single-branch hilt with central rib, two shuttle-shaped pommels with median ridge and curved quillon. Curved, flat-backed blade, marked "Manufacture de Klingenthal Coulaux Frères Entreprise", with counter-edge and hollow sides, stamped at the heel with a lictor's beam. Wooden scabbard covered with taupe morocco, with two large fittings and two brass splints. Chape engraved "Garde d'Honneur Lyonnaise". Iron sting and rings. -With its Officer's belt in the style of the Light Cavalry, with two brackets, in red morocco, trimmed with gilt braid, gilt brass clasp chased with lion's heads. -And its giberne de Gardes d'Honneur de la ville de Lyon. Wooden and patelette pattern case, covered in red morocco, edged with gilt braid. Heraldic lion motif and four gilt brass buttons. Red morocco shoulder strap, trimmed with gilt braid and fitted with thirteen buttons. Buckle with two prongs, loop and crowned eagle in chased gilt brass. Lined with white leather. B.E. First Empire period. History : Lyon Guard of Honour From 1802 to 1814, during Napoleon I's travels throughout the Empire, escorts were formed under the name of Guards of Honour to ensure the Emperor's protection during his visit. They could be communal or departmental. Lyon was the first city where a guard of honour was formed for the Consul Bonaparte's first official visit, from 21 nivôse to 7 pluviôse an X. It was formed by the social elite of the Lyonnais, who formed a corps of light cavalry. Its uniform consisted of a frac suit, Hungarian-style breeches, a hat and a sabre in the style of the light cavalry of the Guard. The Lyon Guard of Honour remained active after Bonaparte's departure. On 23 Ventôse XIII, General Duhesme gave the Rhône Prefect an estimate of the costs involved in making the Lyon Guard of Honour "the guard of honour of his majesty the Emperor". The Lyon municipality made the sum of 5,000 francs available to the head of the guard of honour to help volunteers pay for their uniforms. On 15 Germinal XIII, the Guard of Honour was reorganised. From a company of 100 to 150 men in 1802, Lyon's guard of honour became a real corps made up of a company of foot chasseurs, a company of grenadiers and a company on horseback, for a total of 231 men. It was accompanied by a corps of volunteer musicians. In 1807, the Lyon Guard of Honour was given a standard and regulations. In 1809, it comprised a company of grenadiers, a company of foot chasseurs and a company of horse chasseurs. From 1810 onwards, Napoleon no longer made any official visits to Lyon, and the Guards of Honour became an official formation until the fall of the Empire in 1814.