Original 1798 Battle of the Nile Set- French Blunderbuss, British Naval Candlesticks and Prints Original Items

Original One-of-a-Kind Set. This fine French blunderbuss is one of the very few Non-British items that ws acquired from the Strakaty Collection of Vienna, Austria. A French light swivel flintlock blunderbuss as used on a long boat or on a ship’s rail. Notable features include-a plain lock, very swamped iron barrel measuring 23-inches overall and 2.25-inches across the muzzle, full brass mounts and still retains the original swivel mounting.

What however makes this blunderbuss so interesting is the brass butt plate that bears

an engraved inscription reading:

A PRIZE , Recovered from L’Orient at ABOURKIR BAY after the action, 1st August 1798

Clearly a memento of one of Nelson’s most famous battles most probably recovered from a long boat as history tells us the French flagship L’Orient blew up with catastrophic results and a major loss of life. Abourkir Bay, better known as the Battle of the Nile was really the moment

Nelson landed in history’s pages. His exploits are legend but were so short lived with his death, at the hands of a French Marksman, about H.M.S. Victory at the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.

Together with this memento of The Battle of The Nile is a pair of wonderful silver beaten over copper, known as Sheffield plate, ship’s candlesticks (circa 1799) made to commemorate the recent great British Naval victories of the day. Specifically naming the commanders of the actions and the dates as follows:

HOWE, 1st June 1794 (The Battle of the Glorious 1st of June)

JERVIS, 14th February 1797 (The Battle of Cape St.Vincent)

DUNCAN, 11th October 1797 (The Battle of Camperdown)

NELSON, 1st August 1798 (The Battle of Abourkir Bay)

These candlesticks were made obviously after news of the Nile Victory arrived in England but before Nelson’s next great triumph at The Battle of Copenhagen on 2nd April 1801, placing the date of manufacture between 1798 and 1801.

A magnificent and extremely rare pair of candlesticks that have conspicuous wide wood bases which were an essential requirement when used aboard ship. Each is beautifully embossed with fouled anchors and other military devises.

Also included with these wonderful candlesticks are framed period prints of each of the named Naval Commanders at the four Battles commemorated, a fitting tribute to these British Heroes of the day.

The blunderbuss came from the Strakaty collection and was obtained by IMA in the 1980s, the magnificent candlesticks made between 1798 and 1801, were recently acquired from a leading Maritime collection in Cape Cod, Massachusetts.