191 - France, First Empire (1804–1814).

France, First Empire (1804–1814). Senior Officer’s Sword, signed “I G B,” without scabbard. Gilded cast brass mount (traces of gilding remaining), pommel shaped like a shield, decorated on each side with a profile of Napoleon’s laureated head facing left on a sandblasted background, surmounted by a prominent rivet button. Wooden grip with mother-of-pearl inlays on all four sides and corners adorned with brass strips decorated with friezes of stars. Brass ferrule decorated with palmettes. Single-branch guard; the arch of the joint is adorned with a central faceted ring and two straight, leaf-decorated quillons. The body knot features a helmet atop a bundle of flags. Symmetrical kidney-shaped guard with a central decoration of an imperial eagle with outstretched wings perched on a thunderbolt against a sandblasted background within a cartouche, flanked by oak and laurel branches. Cravate missing. Three-edged blade, stained in places and chiseled with floral motifs and trophies of arms, with traces of blue and gold in the lower third. It is signed “I G B” in a cartouche on the heel. In its original condition upon discovery; never previously in a collection. 73 cm (Blade 57.5 cm). (Signs of wear and normal use; play between the hilt and the blade; the blade has been shortened—an uncommon feature; in fairly good condition).