Infantry Reward Saber, known as the "Saber of the 400 Braves", awarded to the gendarme Guillaume Pinelle, Directoire COLLECTION PHILIPPE MISSILLIER, to be auctioned at Étude Giquello, Drouot - rooms 5-6, on March 6th & 7th, 2025.

PHILIPPE MISSILLIER COLLECTION
EARLY PERIOD – BOOKS – 17TH CENTURY FIREARMS
HUNTING ART – PHALERISTICS
18TH AND 19TH CENTURY WEAPONS – RUSSIAN ART
Friday, March 7, 2025 - 11am to 12pm
AFRICA AND OCEANIA – FAR EAST
Friday, March 7, 2025 - 2pm
ISLAMIC AND INDIAN ART
Location: Drouot - rooms 5-6

EXHIBITION
Tuesday, March 4 from 11am to 6pm
Wednesday, March 5 from 11am to 6pm
Thursday, March 6 from 11am to 12pm
Phone during exhibition + 33(0)1 48 00 20 05

GIQUELLO
Alexandre Giquello
Violette Stcherbatcheff
5, rue La Boétie - 75008 Paris
+33 (0)1 47 42 78 01 - info@giquello.net
With approval
Lot no. 2002 389

CONTACT
Claire Richon
+33(0)1 47 70 48 00
c.richon@giquello.net

EXPERT
Bertrand Malvaux, CNES

Lot no. 229 (from the auction)
Reward Infantry Saber, known as "des 400 Braves", awarded to the gendarme Guillaume Pinelle, Directorate

Reward Infantry Saber, known as "des 400 Braves", awarded to the gendarme Guillaume Pinelle, Directorate. Gilt bronze hilt, single-branch guard, pommel with a short tail and concave flat head mounted with an oblong button where a half-ring for the sword knot articulates, quillon terminated in a faceted button, shield-shaped langets; grip of wood covered with filigreed russet skin with a double braided silvered copper wire, the langets engraved: "THE MINISTER OF WAR to the 3rd Company of the 19th 1/2 brigade", "MANUFACTURE AT VERSAILLES", "BOUTET" hallmark typical of reward and honor weapons, two other hallmarks "AB" and "LD" (probably that of "LAMOGÈRE" Director).
Curved blade with hollowed flats. Length 64.7 cm; width at the hilt 3.7 cm, thickness at the hilt 1 cm, fuller 2.2 cm. It is engraved and gilt on its first third (25 cm) at the back "KLINGENTHAL", on each side with military trophies of vegetal corollas, civic laurel crown on a blued background, gilded and engraved back at the ricasso with geometric design; then mirror polished.
Leather scabbard with two gilt fittings, hallmarked, cup-shaped chape and scalloped cutout button, engraved on the back "to Gen Guillaume Pinelle", tip of the scabbard matching.
France.
Directorate period.
Very good condition, minor oxidation on the blade.
€18,000/€22,000
Biography: Guillaume Pinel, born on April 10, 1769 in Gannat, department of Allier. Enlisted as a soldier in the 23rd line infantry regiment until October 21, 1791, then joined the dromedary regiment on 9 frimaire year 8 (November 30, 1799) until 29 fructidor year 9 (September 16, 1801), foot gendarme, retired in December 1815. Took part in campaigns in Italy, Corsica, and Egypt.
Knight of the Order of the Legion of Honor in June 1804.
HISTORICAL BACKGROUND:
These sabers were given, on the order of War Minister SCHÉRER, at the request of General VAUBOIS, to the soldiers of the 3rd company of the 19th ½ line brigade, on April 1, 1798 following events in Corsica and notably the siege of Fort Corte which lasted 45 days, from 12 nivôse to 26 pluviôse year VI, where these soldiers refused to surrender despite significant losses. There were reportedly a hundred sabers made. Some of these soldiers found themselves a year later among the "three hundred braves" of Nazareth, which is why these sabers are often attributed to that event of the Egypt campaign: the battle of Nazareth on 18 germinal year VII (April 8, 1799), where 150 men of the 19th ½ brigade, along with about a hundred dragoons from the 14th regiment and a few dozen carbineers, particularly distinguished themselves. This troop was commanded by General JUNOT. (Note by Joseph DURIEUX, Carnets de la Sabretache, 1932).