An exceptional garniture by Devisme from the personal property of the Emperor Napoleon III of France Dating: third quarter of the 19th Century Provenence: Paris Made of a cased pin fire side-by-side shotgun and a pair of pin fire double-barrelled pistols. The shotgun (contained in its original ebony case with silver inlaid initials »N. B.» under the imperial eagle and all accessories) has two octagonal, rifled, blued drop barrels, with a high rib signed “Devisme a Paris” in silver in the center among oak leaves, three silver rear sights marked »100», »150» and »200 M-tres» respectively; the base of the rib is reinforced by a plate decorated with oak leaves on a blue background; the nozzles are decorated en suite and provided with a blued sight; on the breech of the barrels are outstanding engraved inlaid works picturing the Imperial Eagle on a sceptre with a thunderbolt, orders and trophies, surmounted by two medallions with the golden initials “N” and “B” (Napoleon Bonaparte); 18 mm cal.; long tang engraved with floral patterns, at the end of which is a silver Imperial Eagle finely worked in bas-relief; backward spring locks on which are, as well as on the cocks and on all of the other mounts including the lever, outstanding engravings of leaves on a dark granulated background, the lock plates are signed “Devisme a Paris” around the cock; dark wooden stock, checkered on the back; on the left is carved the monogram “N.B.”, on the right is a large Napoleonic Eagle on sceptre and thunderbolts in finely engraved silver. Serial No. “1135”. The pistols have round, rifled, blackened drop barrels, the rib is marked “Devisme a Paris” and has a silver foresight; the barrels are silver-inlaid and decorated with leaves; 16 mm cal.; long tangs engraved en suite, ending in silver Imperial Eagles engraved and worked in bas-relief; lock plates and cocks decorated like all of the other mounts, including the lever, with beautiful floral patterns on a granulated black background, signed “Devisme a Paris” around the cocks; checkered ebony stocks; both pistols are marked “N2 1200 Devisme” underneath the lever and dated 1852. The garniture preserve virtually all its original finish. The barrels of all of the three weapons have various marks in the lower part. Louis Napoleon Bonaparte (1808 -1873) became President on December 20, 1849. Because of his delusions of grandeur and his politic unscrupolousness, he was called “The French Soulouque” by his opponents; he ascended the throne in December 1852. These weapons have the crownless Eagle, because they are dated 1852, just before the Imperial coronation.