A varnished walnut box lined with shaped mauve velvet. Closes with a snap fastener; the lid is adorned with a mother-of-pearl inlay. It contains a “Le Merveilleux” pistol, a deluxe model with manual reloading, centerfire, 6 mm caliber Frame stamped “PL BREVETE 11 SGDG.” Bronze-finished. Horn grip plates (cracked). Barrel length: 7.3 cm Overall length: 12 cm Date of manufacture: circa 1890. Known as the “palm pistol,” patented by Jacques Rouchouse (1890–1923), a gunsmith in Saint-Étienne, inventor and manufacturer of the “Le Merveilleux” pistol, patented on April 19, 1889.