A Very Fine French IInd Empire Napoleonic Naval Officer's Deluxe Sabre, With Near Mint Original Gilt Finish. Used in the Crimean War, & Up To The Destruction of the Chinese Fleet in Foochow, During the Sino-French War.

Just arrived back from ten full days expert artisan hand cleaning and conservation to remove antique applied surface preservative lacquer, and thus to reveal all its original fantastic mercurial gilt finish. Amazing, original early to mid 19th century antique sword for French naval officer, and now in exceptionally fine original condition. The sword displays a most elegant design, with finely preserved double fullered bright steel blade and its gilt brass hilt, bearing all its original gilding. The hilt is wonderfully decorated with highly detailed embossed motifs: the decoration is an intricate openwork design composed of climbing plants and the traditional French navy emblem, of an anchor, and rope-twist decorated knucklebow. The cross guard bears by a quillon shaped as a dolphin head. The black ribbed horn grip is partially covered by an embossed gilt back strap piece and trimmed by a gilt brass pommel. The blade bears the manufacturer's name, engraved by hand: Coulaux & Cie. Klingenthal. The black leather scabbard follows the design of the sword. It has a top mount with original gilt brass belt strap ring with an additional optional clam-shell frog button, and its original scabbard chape, the throat mount being adorned with the French navy anchors, both fore and aft. The ribbed leather has been repaired at the bottom near the chape.

The French navy had fifteen line-of-battle ships, and ten or twelve steamers used in the Crimean War.

The Battle of Fuzhou, or Foochow, also known as the Battle of the Pagoda Anchorage (French: Combat naval de Fou-Tchéou, Chinese: 馬江海戰, 馬江之役 or 馬尾海戰, literally Battle of Mawei), was the opening engagement of the 16-month Sino-French War (December 1883 – April 1885). The battle was fought on 23 August 1884 off the Pagoda Anchorage in Mawei (馬尾) harbour, 15 kilometres (9.3 mi) to the southeast of the city of Fuzhou (Foochow). During the battle Admiral Amédée Courbet's Far East Squadron virtually destroyed the Fujian Fleet, one of China's four regional fleets.

Internationally, Napoleon III tried to emulate his uncle Napoleon Bonaparte, engaging in numerous imperial ventures around the world as well as several wars in Europe. He began his reign with French victories in Crimea and in Italy, gaining Savoy and Nice, and very briefly, Venetia (before in turn ceding to Italy). Using very harsh methods, he built up the French Empire in North Africa and in French Indochina. Napoleon III also launched an intervention in Mexico seeking to erect the Second Mexican Empire and bring it into the French orbit, but this ended in a fiasco. He mishandled the Prussian threat, and by the end of his reign, the French emperor found himself without allies in the face of overwhelming German forces. His rule was ended during the Franco-Prussian War, when he was captured by the Prussian army at Sedan in 1870 and dethroned by French republicans. He died in exile in 1873 in England.

Only the scabbard chape with its clam-shell decor has the usual wear to the original sword gilding

Code: 25469