REVOLUTIONARY VOLUNTEER OFFICER'S SABER. Bronze mounting, trace of gilding, chased. Copper filigree handle. Long-tailed lion pommel. Three-pronged guard, the main one with a ribbon and shell, decorated with a pomegranate on a bundle of flags, oak and laurel leaves on a radiant background. Beautiful blade, engraved, gilded and blued, curved, with flat back, counter-edge, gutters and hollow sides, attractively decorated with a Republic, a "Liberty" band and an engraved cartouche "Vivre libre ou mourir", "Pour la Nation, la Loi", (and the King erased), surmounted by a lion "La force"; on the other side, "J'éclore pour la Nation", trophies of arms and "coq de la vigilance". Leather scabbard with two brass trimmings, cut out, and two rings (missing bolt). A.B.E. circa 1790-1792.

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.