A hunting dirk

Museum: Feldman Family Museum

The straight double-edged blade is made of plain steel with one narrow fuller along the midline. The blade tip is double-edged. In the upper half, the blade is etched with floral ornaments on both sides. On the right side, the blade is etched with the three-line inscription in Gothic letters: "Gastinne-Renette Arc-er de l'Empereur" ("Gastin-Renette, arquebusier of the Emperor"). The hilt consists of a grip and a steel cross-guard, under which a figured rain-guard is attached outside. The straight grip is carved of ivory with longitudinal and transverse ribs and a smooth thickening in the middle part. On top of the grip, there is a figured steel plate, and below there is an ornamented steel ferrule. The ends of the figured cross-guard are formed as birds flying in opposite directions. The rain-guard depicts a heraldic shield with the dirk owner's monogram, which represents the Gothic letters DF under a nobility crown. The steel blackened polished scabbard is equipped with a figured thumb stud. The upper and lower parts of the scabbard are deeply etched with floral ornaments.

COMMENT. The presented item is a French hunting dirk during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III Bonaparte (1852-1870). The shape of the guard with the so-called "heraldic" rain-guard, which is found almost exclusively on French dirks, is very characteristic. During this period, such dirks were practically not used for their intended purpose, that is, to finish off the hunted beast, and basically performed only the function of an accessory for a hunting costume. The famous French arms company "Gastinne-Renette", working in Paris from 1812 to the present, has always specialized in the manufacture of expensive hunting rifles for individual orders. In some cases, the company produced a decorated hunting dirk complete with a rifle. This copy just belongs to such products. After the proclamation of the Second Empire in December 1852, the company "Gastinne-Renette" became the official supplier of Napoleon III and the imperial court: "Gastinne Renette à Paris, Champs-Élysées, Canonnier arquebusier de l'Empereur, du Prince Impérial, de la Reine et du roi d'Espagne". At present, any surviving products of thе company "Gastinne-Renette" are highly valued. The dirk is of great historical and cultural value as a well-preserved example of French hunting edged weapons of the second half of the 19th century, which was made by a very famous arms company.