Description
A pair of French pistols by Thiolliere-Le Jeune dating from 1700-1750. Smoothbore 20 bore(.63 in.) 11.5 inch barrels, 18.75 in. overall. Flintlock pistols with silver-mounted relief decoration, cameo butt plates of 2 facing Hussars, one crowned, in working order and in excellent condition. Each pistol is signed on the lock plate "Thiolliere-Le Jeune" for the master gunsmiths of St. Etienne, France. Walnut stocks with floral and shell carving, elaborate solid silver fittings, hallmarked, cast in design on the trigger guards with a side plate bearing a design of a dolphin and flowers. Wrist escutcheon plate showing coat of arms of 2 standing female lions supporting a 9 pointed crown (crown of a count) attributed to the Andrassy family.
This pair of pistols is extremely rare with possibly only 3 or 4 pairs known. The Thiolliere family lived in St. Etienne, France, from the early 1600's, had a colliery and were suppliers to the royal family. On a census in 1642 the Thiolliere's were listed as "Master Arqubussier" (master arquebus makers). They were authorized by the French Minister of War to deliver 440 fusiles in 1727. Hunting arms (Fusil Thiollieres) have appeared among French trade guns of the 18th century in North America. In 1760 Thiolliere made a pair of silver-mounted flintlock pistols for Louis, the Dauphin of France, son of Louis XV and father of Louis XVI. They were decorated with finely cast and chased rococo silver mounts of dolphin on the pommel caps and include symbolic crowned butt plates. The barrels are slightly shoreter than this pair, which is consistent with the date of manufacture.
These pistols were captured from a French soldier during the French and Indian War according to Lt. Patrick Rogers (1705-1796), of Pemaquid, Maine, when he brought the pistols and a powder horn ( shown separately) home at the end of hostilities. He passed the pistols and the horn down through his family to Joel Huston Dodge (1917-2016) (full lineage to be provided) of Damariscotta, Maine. Affidavit signed by Huston Dodge to accompany the sale.
