#consulate era

[blue-and-gilt]

Referred to as the ‘Côtes de Melon’, after the distinctive pommel shaped like the ‘ribs of the melon’. This sabre style gained popularity among French officers from about 1800 and remained in use until the introduction of the model 1821 infantry and 1822 cavalry sabres during the Restoration era. 

Aside from the pommel, the type is distinguished by the simple stirrup hilt with langets and a single quillion. The grips are made from hardwood and can be checkered or have longitudinal groves. Often the knuckle guard has a stylised olive decorative feature. Swords belonging to superior officers would have been silver-plated. 

The swords of mounted or cavalry officers can be identified by their length and dual suspension rings on the scabbard. Superior officers typically had ornate metal scabbards, while infantry officers preferred shorter sabres with a frog stud for use with the cross-belt.

An officer of one of the light cavalry regiments most likely owned this sabre. The blade is particularly large and sturdy, plus the scabbard has dual suspension rings. The blade is decorated in the typical oriental fashion of the late 18th Century with faux Islamic / cabalistic script and an ‘Ottoman’s head’. There is a lovely Solingen rose on the blade's spine but no other identifying manufacturer's marks.

The simple ‘baguette’ shaped langets, blade decorations and plain knuckle guard may indicate that this is an early example of the type, or that it was used by an officer of another nation, imitating French fashion.

Overall Length: 965 mm

Blade Length: 825 mm

Grip Length: 130 mm

Inside Grip Length: 110 mm

Sword Weight: 800 grams

Total Weight: 1050 grams

Point of Balance: 180 mm

Curve: 37 mm

[snowv88]

Ségur Fondly Recalls Working for Napoleon During the Consulate Era

Reading the memoirs of General Philippe-Paul de Ségur has been a bit of a challenge. His literary style tends to throw me off so I've had to peel back the language he uses and get to the essence of what he says.

In any case, as a person who was in Napoleon's personal staff for most of the Napoleonic wars, he was in close proximity to Napoleon as the Consulate and the Empire years rolled around.

Reading around this period, it seems to me that the Consulate days were a more happier time compared to the Empire and Ségur does support this. This period seemed to be more relaxed and informal as Ségur once recalls,

...I remember that one day when our outbursts of laughter in the drawing-room were interrupting his work in the adjoining study, he just opened the door to complain that we were hindering him, with a gentle request that we should be a little less noisy.

Which is quite interesting as I imagined Napoleon peeking into the drawing and being like, "Hey...do you mind? I'm trying to...yeah...thanks so much."

Ségur mentions that their breaks at Malmaison were delightful as there were many activities to do and conversations were often varied, ranging between the serious and the light-hearted. It was noted that Napoleon's favourite topics were The Revolution, philosophy and above all, The East.

The other amusements of his household consisted in private theatricals, in which his adopted children and ourselves took part. He sometimes would encourage us by looking on at our rehearsals, which were superintended by the celebrated actors, Michaud, Molé, and Fleury. The performances took place at Malmaison, before a select party. They would be followed by concerts, of Italian songs principally, and often by little dances where there was no crowding or confusion, consisting, as they did, of three or four quadrille sets with plenty of space between each. He would himself dance gaily with us, and would ask for old-fashioned tunes, recalling his own youth. These delightful evenings used to end about midnight.

Which I think is quite nice to see. However, these days weren't to last as Napoleon's position became more lofty and such informal amusements slowly became less common until they were more or less gone by the time the Empire rolled around.

de Ségur, Général Comte Phillipe-Paul. An aide-de-camp of Napoleon. Memoirs of General Count de Ségur, of the French academy, 1800-1812. Wagram Press.