A UNIQUE NAPOLEONIC PARTISAN C. 1790

A unique example, perhaps made for the Imperial Guard. Iron head forged as a large fleur de lis slightly tipped forward like a church processional staff. The front forged and skillfully chiseled with a high relief portrait, presumably Louis XVI, in profile in a cut away coat with his arm at his side. In place of a crown, a hat, which doubles as the bib of a cowl surrounding the face of a man with features of a pig which rises above. The left base segment is chiseled with AG in exactly the same fashion and form as the AN (Army National) marks found on other Napoleonic pole arms. The integral socket is formed from an octagonal 17th century gun barrel, complete with dove tail for sight. Original blackened haft. With no comparables known, this example has puzzled experts for decades. The suggestion that it was used to lead the procession of aristocrats to the gallows is very plausible. The identity of the personage is subject to interpretation and conjecture, however, the message is clear and the enthusiasm for its delivery unmistakable. Total length: 87 1/4

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