Officer's Saber Of The Musketeers Of The King's Household

The Musketeers:

The King's Company of Musketeers, better known as the Musketeers of the Guard, was an elite French military unit founded in 1622. During their existence, the Musketeers served as part of the Royal Guard of the French monarchy and participated in several battles and sieges throughout Europe during the 17th and 18th centuries.

The company was created in 1622 and composed primarily of young French noblemen. It served as a training school and eventually became an elite unit tasked with protecting the monarch outside the royal residence. Initially led by Cardinal Richelieu, it was split in 1664 after several years: the first company, the Grey Company, named after the color of its horses, and the second company, the Black Company, equipped with black horses.

The Musketeers were an important element of the French royal elite and earned their renown during many important French battles and uprisings, such as the Siege of La Rochelle and the Fall of Valenciennes, where they earned their reputation. Alexandre Dumas's publication of his novel "The Three Musketeers" in 1844 finally brought this elite force worldwide renown.

The Saber:

The swords of the Musketeer companies varied between the 1st and 2nd Companies. The 2nd Company had silver-plated hilts and black leather scabbards, while the 1st Company had gilded or brass hilts. The symbol of the Musketeers, the flaming cross, signified their Catholic affiliation. Founded during the Rohan Wars, it supported the Catholic monarchy.

These blades are known to belong to a group of swords worn in the mid-18th century, while the hilt of our saber is a typical 2nd Company Musketeer hilt, refitted in the late 18th century, still supporting the monarchy. It is highly likely that the owner was transferred or reassigned to the Musketeer Company and retained his blade. The companies were extensively reorganized during the reign of Louis XVI and during the French Revolution, when they were finally disbanded. A brief reassignment took place after the French Revolution, until their final abolition in 1816.

Hilt:
Known as the 1814 model, it features a broad bronze guard composed of three bars adorned with the Musketeer arms, the Flaming Cross within a cartouche. The remarkable thumb rest is adorned with a fleur-de-lis. The hilt, mounted in black sheepskin and silver wire, has been professionally restored. The slightly rounded pommel is adorned with a border of acanthus leaves.

Conservation:
The sword was found in a Parisian property, covered in traces of grease and weapon oil, which has preserved it remarkably. The silver wire of the hilt was removed and restored by professionals from the Lagidse Workshop in the Netherlands. It is important to note that the restorer mentioned that the hilt had never been recently disassembled to assemble the blade and hilt, which proves the authenticity of the whole.

Blade:

The blade is marked with the Mouchette de Solingen, triangular in section, supplied by Guillemin in Versailles, the most commonly used furbishers by the Royal Guards. It is straight with a strong median edge and double grooves on each side. It measures 91.2 cm in length. It is engraved with the Luxembourg Company, "Gardes du Corps du Roi" framed by fleurs-de-lis, Guilmin Md Fourbisseur à Versailles, no. (white), and the Solingen mouchette mark on the strong side. On the other side, "Fourni Md Fourbisseur Rue Dauphine à Paris," surmounted by a trophy of arms, the arms of France crowned with laurel branches and the radiant sun. It is wearing its original scabbard with silver-plated brass fittings and a leather throat.

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