Commemorative Rapier

The rapier, decorated with a portrait of the late Oscar I on the grip, was presented to Queen Dowager Josefina (1807-1876) in 1873 in order to commemorate that fifty years had passed since she had first set foot on Swedish soil. The jubilee was celebrated at Rosendal Palace. The miniatures on the knuckle guard represents, from the left Karl XIV Johan, Josefina as a young princess with red roses in her hair, surrounded by her father Eugène de Beauharnais and her mother, Amalia of Bavaria, together with Queen Desideria.

The rapier is signed "Le Page Arquebusier du Roi à Paris". Le Page (later called Fauré Le Page) was one of France’s most well-known firearms manufacturer, which remained in the same family for generations. With its unique and luxurious craftsmanship, the house attracted many well-situated clients.From 1865 until 1913 the master of the renowned house was Henri Fauré Le Page.