This set of pistols was owned by the Marquis de Lafayette, who gave them to George Washington. Washington carried them through the Revolutionary War. For a time they were also carried by Andrew Jackson, before ending back up in the hands of the Lafayette family. In 2002 they were auctioned by Christies and sold for $1,986,000.
Lot DescriptionTHE LAFAYETTE-WASHINGTON PAIR OF STEEL-MOUNTED “SADDLE” PISTOLSMarked by Jacob Walster (w. 1761-c.1790), Saarbruck, France (now Germany), circa 1775-1776Each with octagonal to round barrel of “Damascus” steel embellished with silver and gold wire inlay, the steel locks with chamfered edges and engraved borders, the tails engraved with a panoply of arms, all mounted on European walnut stocks with relief carved detailing holding wooden rammers with bell-shaped horn finials and iron cleaning tips, the first barrel markedWALSTER, the second marked A SAARBRVCK, both housed in an American Black Walnut case, 1830-1847; together with four accompanying manuscripts comprising an envelope addressed to Geo. W. Lafayette; a presentation document signed by J.L. Martin addressed to Geo. W. Lafayette, the verso inscribed by G.W. Lafayette (figs. 8,9); Madame Hennocque’s copy of M. Edmond de Lafayette’s 1890 will (figs. 10,11); a copy of the exhibition catalogue, “Les Etats-Unis & La France au XVIII Siecle” (Paris: Hotel Jean Charpentier, 1929)
17¾in. long (5)ProvenanceThe Marquis de Lafayette (1757-1834)
George Washington (1732-1799), by gift
William Robinson (1782-1857), by inheritance
Andrew Jackson (1767-1845), by gift
George Washington Lafayette (1779-1849), by bequest
Edmond Lafayette (1818-1890), son
Antonin de Beaumont (d. 1910), nephew
Marie de Beaumont (Mme. Edmond Hennocque), daughter
Charles Marchal, 1958, by sale
Charles Dresser, a French private collector
Couturier Nicolay Paris (Auctioneers), Collection de Monsieur X: Tres Important Ensemble D’Armes a Feu et D’Armes Blanches du XIVe au XIXe Siecle, 19 October 1983, lot 124
Pre-Lot TextPresented by the Marquis de Lafayette to George Washington during the American Revolution, these pistols stand as a supreme testament to the enduring friendship between America’s most revered historical figures and their struggle for American Independence. After just a quarter century following Washington’s death, the pistols were recognized as important icons of the New Republic and in 1824 were given to Andrew Jackson in support of his quest for the presidency. Not only did the pistols pay homage to the battlefield successes of America’s first and seventh presidents, but they also provided a symbolic link between military prowess and political leadership. With the return of the pistols to the Lafayette family in the mid-nineteenth century, the pair came to symbolize Franco-American ties and the mutual quest for liberty. Today, the pistols stand as one of the most important pair extant and the story of their illustrious ownership speaks to the ideals and aspirations of America’s founders.GEORGE WASHINGTON AND THE MARQUIS DE LAFAYETTE
The life-long friendship between George Washington and Lafayette began in August 1777 at a dinner party in Philadelphia.1 Just two months earlier, Lafayette had arrived in South Carolina, a twenty-year old French aristocrat intent on fighting for the American cause. He later recalled,
The moment I heard of America, I lov’d her. The Moment I knew she was fighting for freedom I burnt with a desire of bleeding for her—and the moment I schall be able of serving her in any time or any part of the world, will be among the happiest in my life.
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life-long friendship between George Washington and Lafayette
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AngelMihe 