Its history is an epic.
Audacity is its signature.
Art is its reputation.
PR OL OGUE
The soul of the House of Fauré le Page
F
ounded early in the reign of Louis XV, the House of
Fauré Le Page earned its spurs as a master gunsmith to kings
and princes. Seven generations of the same family each wrote
a chapter of its legend.
Excelling in a vast range of trades, their master craftsmen
created exceptional pieces for the great and the good of
the European courts. Louis XVI’s hunting-pieces and
Napoleon’s vermeil saber are just two of the masterworks
that today are the pride and joy of the world’s foremost
museums. The Fauré Le Page family first entered the annals
of French history when it defiantly handed out weapons to
the revolutionary forces in 1789 and again in 1830.
Writers of the caliber of Balzac, Dumas, Chateaubriand,
Pushkin, and countless other authors all celebrate the House
in their acclaimed novels.
Today, Fauré Le Page has once again taken up arms and its
collection of luxury bags, decorated with its iconic “scale”
motif, bears all the hallmarks of a glorious past allied to a
deathless modernity. The boutique at 21, rue Cambon today
showcases these weapons of seduction.
The store at 21, rue Cambon
5
Louis the First (? – 1749) led the charge in 1717.
Founder of the House, he rose to become
master gunsmith and sword-cutler “by special
appointment” to King Louis XV.
One dynasty, seven generations
T
he great legend of the House of Fauré Le Page was forged
by seven generations of the same family that kept alive its
glorious traditions of excellence, each making its own special
contribution.
After 1925, a number of other families succeeded one
another at the head of the famous establishment. Never
extinguished, the flame of Fauré Le Page now burns brightly
in the heart of Paris.
The boutique on 21, rue Cambon - Fauré Le Page’s seventh
address in Paris - opened its doors in 2012.
Pierre the Pioneer (1709-1783) earned
the favor of the Royal House of Orleans,
dazzling the uppermost echelons
of French aristocracy.
Endowed with an explosive imagination,
Jean the Inventor (1746-1834) brought further
improvements with a salvo of innovations and patents.
Though armorer to Louis XVI, Napoleon, and
Louis XVIII… he went on to arm the rebels of 1789.
Henry the Intrepid (1792-1854)
supplied weapons to King Charles
X and King Louis Philippe
and… to the revolutionaries
of 1830.
Under Gilles-Michel the Adventurer (1746-1834),
honored by Louis-Philippe and Napoleon III, the
House’s prestigious name resounded the world over.
Émile-Henry the Conqueror
(1840-1929), garnered medal
after medal at World’s Fairs
and sallied off to make his
name at foreign courts from
Russia to Persia.
6
Robert the Brave (1880-1914) composed a fresh
chapter in his father’s epic story. He lost his life
on the field of honor during the Great War.
A formidable family
The choice of Kings
E
very French sovereign since Louis XV - be he king or
emperor - has brandished weapons crafted by Fauré Le Page.
In 1785, the City of Paris followed the time-honored
tradition of bestowing the throne of France’s latest
incumbent with his first arms. The dauphin was presented
with a rifle and two pistols trimmed in gold created by the
Le Page workshops.
Such weapons were at that time a royal prerogative. A monarch
would reward the most valiant of his officers with a sword of
honor or a pair of pistols…preferably by the House of Le Page.
Exceptional examples of the armorer’s handiwork, such as
Louis XVI’s hunting-pieces, Bonaparte’s vermeil saber, and
the sword set with agate and inlayed with mother-of- pearl
belonging to Joachim Murat, King of Naples, were all crafted
by Fauré Le Page. Today, they grace the collections of the most
outstanding museums.
8
Prince Charmings
Lighting the Fuse
O
fficial supplier to the royal and imperial courts of
France alike, Fauré Le Page nonetheless boldly chose to stand
side by side with the revolutionaries of 1789 and 1830.
“During the course of Tuesday, July 27, M. Le Page,
arquebusier, found it his duty to resist the removal of the
ancient and precious weapons contained in his storerooms;
together with his workmen, he determined instead on
regularly handing out anything that might assist the patriots
in the defense of their persons. For three days, M. Le Page
continued distributing weapons and ammunition of every
type; in the morning of the 27th, he obtained some one
hundred and twenty pounds of powder. Since Tuesday, a
steady stream of cast-iron bullets of every caliber has been
flowing from his workshop; they remained accessible at any
time of the day. He was ably assisted by his father, an old man
of 85. Patriotism seems hereditary in the Le Page family. At
the time of the first Revolution, M. Le Page père, master
gunsmith, threw open his stockrooms no less than three
times to the defenders of freedom.”
Evénements de Paris, des 27,28 et 29 juillet 1830
Faithful to its long heritage, Fauré Le Page thus remains
independently minded in all its creations…
10
Keeping cool under fire
The art of the gesture
“The master gunsmith is the artist who designs the work and
guides the craftsman’s hand.” Jean Le Page (1746-1834)
A
troop of talented master craftsmen thus worked for
the family firm: gunners, founders, welders, metalworkers,
cutlers, sculptors, modelers, metal-chasers, engravers,
inlayers, gilders, saddlers, sheath-makers, leatherworkers,
goldsmiths, and jewelers all joined forces in creating its
masterpieces. For instance, no less than fifteen craftsmen
were involved in assembling the sword offered by the City of
Paris to the Count of Paris in 1841.
Staying true to its roots, Fauré Le Page is engaged in the process
of renewing its savoir-faire. Architects, designers, carpenters,
wrought-iron workers, copperware manufacturers, graphic
designers, stylists, modelmakers, colorists and silkscreen
artists complete the talents of artisan leatherworkers.
12
Craft for craft’s sake
An Explosion of Awards
O
ver the course of its history, the artistic and ballistic
creations of the firm have been acclaimed by numerous
awards and the dazzling reputation of Fauré Le Page now
shines well beyond the borders of France.
1839
1844
1849
1851
1855
1862
1867
1873
1875
1878
1889
1911
Paris Exhibition
Paris Exhibition
Paris Exhibition
London Great Exhibitions
Paris World’s Fair
London World’s Fair
Paris World’s Fair
Vienna World’s Fair
Santiago International Exhibition, Chile
Paris World’s Fair
Paris World’s Fair
Turin International Exhibition
Silver Medal
Silver Medal
Silver Medal
Prize Medal
Medal 1st Class
Prize Medal
Silver Medal
Medal of Progress
Premier Prix
Gold Medal
Grand Prix
Grand Prix
A substantial proportion of these distinctions, together with
the shield awarded at the London Great Exhibition in 1851,
are now on show in the Store on 21, rue Cambon.
14
The honors of the House
With arms and baggage
A
s a master gunsmith and sword-cutler, since its founding
Fauré Le Page had to become past master in the art of fine
leather craft.
Out hunting or on the battlefield, firearms are inevitably
accompanied by bags containing ammunition, provisions,
game, boots, or other personal effects. The current range of
bags thus descends from these earlier cartridge cases, kitbags,
budgets, haversacks, satchels, game-bags, beaters’ pouches,
cartridge buckets...
Today, the firm continues to furnish classic articles crafted
in its historic workshops. Venturing beyond its familiar
hunting-grounds, the collection has since been enriched by
new weapons of seduction...
16
It’s in the bag!
Galerie des armes
1
Galerie des armes
8
2
11
6
4
13
9
10
3
12
5
7
1 - Petit Parade bag with its removable Gun clutch
Écailles cloth and grained calfskin
2 - Daily Battle shopping-bag
Écailles cloth and smooth calfskin
3 - Rifle-case
Écailles cloth and vegetable-tanned calfskin
4 - Folding “beater’s” stool
Écailles cloth and vegetable-tanned calfskin and ash
5 - Night Shot clutch
Polished brass and knitted mink
6 - The Gun clutch-bag range
Écailles cloth, grained calfskin and alligator
7 - Boot bag
Écailles cloth and vegetable-tanned calfskin
14
8 - Views of the Calibre evening-bag in the “Grand Soir” version
Pleated lambskin
9 - Shopping trolley-bag
Écailles cloth over a steel chassis
10 - Goupille bag range
Écailles cloth and smooth calfskin
11 - Calibre clutch-bag
Pleated lambskin
12 - Spirits flask
Écailles cloth
13 - “Beater’s” bag
Écailles cloth and vegetable-tanned calfskin
14 - Petit Parade bag with its removable Gun clutch
Matt alligator skin
On a grand scale
T
he fish-scale, the maker’s hallmark motif, appears engraved
or chased on countless precious weapons. Based on the
material that protects a number of animals, this warlike
design reminds one too of the overlapping pattern formed
by early mail-coats and armor, as well as of the shimmering
carapaces of dragons and other figments of the zoological
imagination. In myth, the scale is also the attribute of some
bellicose if alluring females, for, if they could steal men’s
hearts, Minerva, Venus, and Diana, as well as divers Amazons,
Sirens, Nymphs, and Undines, were not to be trifled with.
Contemporary creations of Fauré Le Page are all personalized
by this age-old symbol of strength and seduction.
24
A hundred legends
A master’s canvas
W
ith its roots in the firm’s venerable tradition of
craftsmanship the Écailles or Scale fabric is heir at once to the
light, rugged, waterproof coated cloths employed for hunting
accessories and to the iconic “Scale” motif.
Exclusive to Fauré Le Page, the Écailles cloth is handcrafted. It
is screen-printed using a process similar to that employed for
printing on silk, the scale-patterned fabric is then waxed and
grained, endowing it with wonderful suppleness, as well as a
glossy feel and impressive toughness.
26
The mark of genius
A colorful history
T
he palette used by Fauré Le Page bears the stamp of its
glorious past :
The Mars Ocher, a tribute to the god of war, emblazons the
“Scale” cloth in a fiery yellow.
The Steel Gray looks back to the damask shades of rifle
barrels.
The Paris Blue celebrates the City of Light, the beating
heart of the House of Fauré Le Page.
The Empire Green keeps alive the flame of the Napoleonic
epic.
The Walnut Brown derives from the dense, amber-colored
burr used for the butts of firearms.
The Red Ivresse extends an invitation to conquest.
28
Mining the Red Planet. Fauré Le Page extracting Mars Ocher
“7”: the mark of destiny
1717 The opening of the first Faure Le Page shop in the
heart of Paris.
7 generations of the same family forged its legend.
7 French sovereigns after Louis XV honored the gunsmith.
7 stages are required to make the cloth.
7 scales between each signature emblazoned on the fabric.
7 x 3 = 21, rue Cambon, Faure Le Page’s 7th and most
recent Paris address.
7 x 2 = 14 September, 2012, the day the new Store opened
its doors.
30
The sevenfold proof
The pen is mightier than the sword
H
eroes alone may wield the weapons of heroes… Balzac,
Dumas, Chateaubriand, Pushkin, and innumerable other
authors all celebrate the House in their novels.
-“Before leaving Cairo, I made Abdallah the present of a
rifle […] manufactured by Le Page. He promised he would
make use of it at the earliest possible opportunity”
François-René de Chateaubriand, Journey from Paris to Jerusalem, 1811.
-“Sir, I graduated in shooting at Le Page’s, in Paris,”
Honoré de Balzac, The Wild Ass’s Skin, 1831.
-“The pistols that had performed this miracle of accuracy
had been given me by my mother and came from the
workshops of Le Page. They subsequently acquired a measure
of celebrity in the army dispatched to Italy.”
Alexandre Dumas, My Memoirs, 1852.
-“He orders […] weapons, weapons by Le Page, to be
carried over […] to two little oak trees.”
Alexandre Pouchkine, Eugène Onéguine, 1823.
-“Le Page is not a firearms manufacturer; he always dubs
himself a ‘master gunsmith,’”
Adrien Goetz, Le Coiffeur de Chateaubriand, 2010.
32
A razor-sharp pen
É PI L OGUE
To arms, citizens!
C
onquerors and adventuresses, temptresses and femmes
fatales… from Sarah Bernhardt to Lola Montes, a regiment
of smoldering heartbreakers, sure both of their weapons
and their charms, have wielded firearms by Fauré Le Page in
delicate, gloved hands.
Women keep their powder dry. They don’t hang fire, but aim
true, and hit the bull’s-eye!
Today, Fauré Le Page offers such all-conquering females new
weapons in the battle of the sexes. From a declaration of war
to a declaration of love, from the duel to the duet, from foil
to flirt, at Fauré Le Page they will never find themselves short
of ammunition.
She who must be obeyed
35
Expressions that (might) hit home
F
lower your guns for a new conquest; on the hunt for
ladies, take careful aim; be she a bombshell or a canon of
beauty, with flashing eyes, light the blue touch-paper; choose
your weapons, your arms of seduction; count the bullets in
your pouch! Arm yourself with patience–or be gun-ho and
pour into the breach; search out the chink in their armor;
defuse the bomb, render it harmless; don’t be a powder puff,
but light the powder keg; or powder your face for a last-ditch
battle; running out of ammunition in the heat of action?
Make the sparks fly! All in a blaze from a bolt from the blue,
storm the citadel; beware of whizzing bullets, hit the bull’s
eye; count your hunting trophies; with a volley of applause
and a slash of the saber, crack open the champagne...
36
Bang!
Chronology
1717 : The foundation and inauguration of a store
in the vicinity of the Palais Royal.
1752 : First orders from the Duke of Orleans.
1804 : Creation of the saber for Napoleon Bonaparte as First Consul.
1830 : During the “Trois Glorieuses” days of July 27, 28,
and 29,weapons and ammunition are distributed
to the revolutionary forcess.
1878 : Gold medal at the World’s Fair in Paris.
1925 : Fauré Le Page becomes a commercial concern.
2012 : The House stays in the heart of Paris, taking up quarters
at 21, rue Cambon.
38
Illustrations by Mathieu Poupon
21 RUE CAMBON, PARIS 1 ER
+33 (1) 49 27 99 36 - www.faurelepage.com
“ With Fauré Le Page, the spirit and ingenuity of a
designer of failsafe accessories live on. In this new
arsenal, an ‘it-bag’ becomes a weapon… of seduction
that continues the saga of a three-hundred year-old
family firm crowned by the fame of a timeless legend.”
21
FLP
1717
Rue Cambon
Paris