Beschreibung:

Pair of Holster Pistols, Silver-hilted Small Sword, and Flask, pistols and sword, France, mid-18th century, the pistols, probably by Jean-Antoine de La Roche, Paris, c. 1740-50, with walnut stock with relief carved floral decoration behind entry pipe and at breech and silver wire inlay, horn-tipped wood rammer, silver furniture, foliate scroll sideplate, trigger guard with floral device on bow, the butt cap with panoply of arms, oval escutcheon with engraved coart of arms possibly of the Becel family, lock engraved "La Roche Paris," octagon to round barrel with gold decoration at breech and around the sight, overall lg. 19 3/4 in.; the sword with elaborately pierced floral pattern hilt, silver-wire-wrapped grip, and triangular blade, later brass scabbard, overall lg. 33 7/8; and a mid-19th century round silver flask with short threaded spout, one side engraved "A. Mitchell," dia. 4 3/4 in. Provenance: The pistols, sword, and flask were mounted together on a wooden plaque by Alfred Mitchell (1832-1911). Donald Mitchell, a brother of Alfred Mitchell inherited the pistol, sword, and flask, by family tradition they came from his maternal grandfather, Nathaniel Shaw Woodbridge, and were retained in his house in Salem. Alfred's principal claim to fame was that he married Annie Olivia Tiffany (1844-1937), the daughter of Charles Tiffany and sister of Louis Comfort Tiffany Alfred Mitchell and Annie Olivia Tiffany were also cousins, both having descended from Nathaniel Shaw Woodbridge (1771-1797) of New London and Salem, Connecticut. The house that he built in Salem is still in the possession of his descendants. The pair of silver-mounted pistols can be identified in Nathaniel Shaw Woodbridge's 1797 estate inventory of his possessions at the Woodbridge House (Salem), where they are described as "Pistols & holsters" (Chronicles of a Connecticut Farm 1769-1905 [Boston: privately printed, 1905], p. 131). By 1797 "holster pistols" had been obsolete for a number of decades, as they were so long that they could only be carried in front of a saddle on horseback. This 18th century terminology points toward the pistols as being the same pair later owned by Alfred Mitchell The silver-hilted sword is a very fine early to mid-18th century French piece, but with a custom-made and specially fitted scabbard of a specific pattern carried by staff officers during the U.S. Civil War. Family tradition states that this sword was carried by Alfred Mitchell during his service as an aide-de-camp on the staff of a Connecticut general during the Civil War; this combination of circumstances pins this sword down as being his. The fact that Donald Mitchell carried into the war a sword that was already over 100 years old, and a precious silver antique, is extremely unusual and very telling of his character. He was by all accounts very proud of his ancestry, and it completely fits his character to have eschewed any commonly available current pattern for something illustrating his ancient lineage and forbearers' wealth. The sword itself can be identified as the "silver hilted mourning sword" listed in Nathaniel Shaw Woodbridge's 1797 estate inventory, featured in Chronicles of a Connecticut Farm 1769-1905 (Boston: privately printed, 1905), p. 131.