Pair of Flintlock Pistols of Empress Catherine the Great (1729–1796) 1786

These flintlock pistols were made in 1786 by Johan Adolph Grecke for Empress Catherine the Great of Russia. The pair, now in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, are made of steel and ivory with gold ornamentation, typical of 18th-century European gunsmithing. The ornate details and delicate ivory grips highlight the pistols as more than just weapons; they were objects of status and luxury, meant to reflect the wealth and power of their owner.