This lavish turnover sporting carbine dates to c. 1805 shortly after Napoleon Bonaparte seized power as emperor and originates from the renowned Versailles Manufactory led by Nicolas Noel Boutet (1761-1833), unquestionably one of the finest firearms artisans the world has ever known. Boutet became gunmaker in ordinary to King Louis XVI in 1788 shortly before the French Revolution and was appointed the "directeur-artiste" of the Versailles Arms Manufactory in 1792, the same year the king was arrested. By the time Napoleon had seized power as emperor, Boutet had assembled a team composed of many of the best artisans in Europe. They produced both regulation arms for Napoleon's massive armies and some of the most incredible "de luxe" firearms the world has ever seen. Their "Empire Style" designs often feature motifs whose inspiration was drawn from ancient Greco-Roman and Egyptian art following Napoleon's conquests in Italy and Egypt. Many of the finest guns from Versailles under Boutet's leadership and were commissioned by Napoleon as presentation pieces for his officers, political allies, foreign dignitaries, and his family as well as extraordinary arms for the emperor's own use. Though a number of deluxe rifled sporting carbines from Versailles are known today, only a very limited number of the more sophisticated turnover carbines were manufactured. Most of the few known examples are retained in institutional collections in Europe, including an example in the State Historical Museum in Moscow and a very similar combination rifle and smoothbore turnover gun in the Wallace Collection (Inv: A1126) identified as made in 1805 and attributed as owned by Emperor Nicholas I of Russia. That example is also featured in "French Pistols and Sporting Guns" by A. N. Kennard on pages 50-51. It may have been presented originally to Emperor Alexander I of Russia at the same time he received a pair of Boutet pistols and a rifle from Napoleon after the signing of the Treaties of Tilsit in 1807 ending Napoleon's war with Russia and Prussia and allying Imperial Russia with Napoleon against the British Empire and Sweden. Another "carabine tournante" identified as marked with the coat of arms of Joseph Bonaparte and listed as owned by the Prince de la Moskowa (Marshal of the Empire Michel Ney and his descendants) is featured in "La Manufacture d'Armes de Versailles Boutet Directeur-Artiste" by Captain Maurice Boutet in 1903 as item XLI and is described on page 58. These noteworthy examples highlight the significance of the rare turnover carbines as presentation pieces for particularly powerful figures in the Napoleonic era and the fact that it is nearly impossible to acquire a Boutet turnover carbine on the private market. This extraordinary "carabine tournante" has finely rifled 38 bore (.49 caliber) swamped semi-octagonal barrels with silver blade front sights surrounded by gold inlaid panels decorated with radiating "lightning" emanating from clouds, extensive gold inlaid stars, gold panels with engraved foliate patterns at the breech ends, gold lined vents, oval "DB" (Daniel Boussavy, controller of the Versailles Manufactory in 1793-1794 and 1805) marked below the stock lines near the vents, "Boutet Directr Artiste" on the underside of one barrel and "Manufre a Versailles" on the other, small "star 59" or marking on the left flat of one barrel, and hooked breech plugs. Dished rears sights are incorporated on the breech plate and standing breech. The barrels are freed for rotation by hand by a hidden release mechanism activated by pressing up on the front of the trigger guard. A shared replacement brass ramrod with steel tip and worm is fitted to one side of the forestock. The priming pans are gold lined, and the frizzen springs feature rollers. The flat beveled back action lock features a detailed wooded scene with wildfowl and a wolf with a paw caught in a trap. The side plate features wildfowl being hunted by a hawk, and the trigger guard features a demi-wild man holding up a panel with a scene of a cockatoo. Additional engraving includes various other exotic birds, such as the parrot scene on the false entry pipe and the ostrich on the heel extension, a hound on the ramrod entry pipe, smaller hound vignettes, a squirrel and stork on the upper tang, and geometric, floral, and neo-classical designs. The animal scenes are very finely detailed and were likely drawn from period natural history books such as Johann Elias Ridinger's "Gruendliche Beschreibung und Vorstellung der Wilden Thiere nach ihrer Natur, Geschlecht, Alter und Spur" (Thorough Description and Presentation of Wild Animals...). The figured walnut forestock and buttstock feature extensive foliate carving, including a cheekpiece on each side with carving terminating in a rosette and a finely carved rooster bestial mask in contrasting ebony at the base of the wrist. The gold wrist escutcheon is inscribed "SB". The carbine is from the private collection of Wesley I. Paul, former Chairman of the Board of the Royal Armouries, who indicated the initials are for "Monsieur Sala Bugenlis." The carbine was sold in 1950 in the sale of the collection of the Marquess of Bute. When it became part of the Marquess of Bute's collection is unclear, but John Crichton-Stuart, 5th Marquess of Bute (1907-1956) was a noted ornithologist and hunter actively involved in wildlife conservation; as such, the various highly detailed scenes involving various species of birds were likely of particular interest to him. In 1950, it was sold to noted arms historian and collector Arthur Norris Kennard (1911-1995), Deputy Master of the Royal Armouries, and it was later sold at the sale of his collection in March 1996. Provenance: Monsieur Sala Bugenlis; The Collection of the Marquess of Bute; The A. Norris Kennard Collection; The Private Collection of Wesley I. Paul, former Chairman of the Board of the Royal Armouries

Exceptionally fine overall with professional conservation work to the metal and wood. The barrels display bright gold inlay and crisp engraving and have dark brown patina on the balance with some pitting and absent stars. The bright polished and cleaned lock and mounts have fine engraving, minor pitting, and fairly minor overall wear. The wood has some discreet repairs and faint cracks, distinct and wonderful carving, light marks and scratches, and attractive figure. Mechanically fine. This is rare opportunity to acquire one of the rarest firearms from Boutet and the Versailles Manufactory; few collectors ever even get the opportunity to see these scarce and stunning turnover carbines let alone acquire one.