Important saber presented to Colonel Leboutte by the officers of the 4th Belgian Line Infantry Regiment (1833). Mother-of-pearl handle with chased foliate scrolls and trophies with eyelet. Gilt brass mounting, single chain guard with double guilloche rings. Crosspiece with two rhombic and two bulbous quillons. Curved, flat-backed blade engraved in gold with "Jb Rougé fils Fabt d'armes Liège" and hollow sides. Entirely engraved blade, 5/6 blued, gilded, decorated with trophies of arms, scrolls and cartouches engraved "Les officiers du 4e Regt" "Au colonel Leboutte", the last 6th engraved damascus-style on a crown background of laurel and oak leaves. Sheet metal scabbard (pitted and slightly missing) signed en suite "JB RONGE FILS A LIEGE SEPTEMBRE 1833". Chappe entrance with foliage decoration, two vermeil bracelets with lion, trophies, Appolon masks and foliage sting, in chased vermeil. A.B.E. (accidents and missing mother-of-pearl plates, oxidation on the scabbard). Biography : Jean-François-Nicolas LEBOUTTE (1784-1867). He served in the Imperial Guard under the Empire, then as an officer in the infantry. He joined the young Belgian army as a lieutenant-colonel on October 23, 1830. He took part in the Dix-Jours campaign of 1831, and had his horse killed beneath him at the battle of Louvain on August 12, 1831. He was also wounded by machine-gun fire to the right hand. Honorary aide-de-camp to the King on September 22, 1831. Appointed Officier de la Légion d'honneur on July 22, 1836 by Louis-Philippe. Major General on April 19, 1841. Retired on January 20, 1856. St. Helena Medal. He ended his career as Lieutenant-General, having taken part in a total of 16 campaigns in his lifetime (information taken from a biography by D. Timmermans).