French saber, senior hussar officer, in scabbard

Steel, bronze, brass, gilt, leather; head length 84 cm; overall length 97 cm.
France, period of the Directory (1795-1799) and Consulate (1799-1804).
The so-called "gold" saber, with a "pearl" handle; cross-barbed hilt, with rectangular whiskers and a rear arm ending in a ball in the form of a "wasp's nest". The bow is decorated with pearls. Handle shaft covered with leather, wrapped with double filigree (part of the braid is missing). Head with a long braid. Steel head, ground in one wide furrow, tarnished navy blue, with traces of gilding; on the outer lobe engraved stylized floreses and panoplies typical of hussar sabers of the 2nd half of the 18th century: various weapons, and in the center a charging hussar on horseback with a saber raised to cut; on the inner lobe similar decorations and a Gallic rooster standing on a drum. Brass scabbard with two braided riffles, with fan-shaped decoration; cannelled, repaired below the lower riffle.
Extremely rare piece, uncommon in private collections.