Designs for the Decoration of the Jaw and Profile of the Cock of a Firearm 1772 - 1830

Nicolas Noël Boutet created these designs for firearm decoration, likely in France, during the late 18th or early 19th century. The drawings depict fantastical creatures: a hybrid of bird and human, and a serpentine dragon, both rendered with meticulous detail. Boutet was the director of the Versailles arms factory. This was a time when firearms were not just weapons, but status symbols. Aristocrats and royalty prized elaborately decorated guns, turning them into art objects. Boutet's designs reflect this culture, blending artistry with militaristic function. The choice of mythical beasts is also telling. Dragons and hybrid creatures often symbolize power and protection, qualities desirable in a weapon. The drawings offer a window into the social values of the time. To fully understand these designs, one might research the history of the Versailles arms factory, the symbolism of mythical creatures in European art, and the social status of firearms in the 18th and 19th centuries.