Cabot Guns, the renowned custom 1911 maker, has shown another work of art from their OAK Collection of 1911 pistols. This richly engraved gun is called Le Nouveau after the style of art, Art Nouveau, which motifs are used in the engraving pattern.

The OAK Collection of Cabot pistols includes the company’s top grade one-of-a-kind guns. These are Cabot’s most exclusive, rare and unique 1911 pistols. For example, the Big Bang Set of pistols that are almost completely made of a meteorite are OAK Collection handguns.

The pistol is engraved by master engraver Otto Carter. Here is how Cabot describes the story of the creation of this pistol as well as the challenges and solutions associated with using the Art Nouveau style on this steel canvas.

When Cabot Guns asked FEGA Master Engraver Otto Carter to create his next one-of-a-kind Masterpiece, the Art Nouveau style was the answer. As a longtime student of art history, Art Nouveau, the style always had a special place in Otto’s heart. The Art Nouveau style is characterized by highly stylized borders and repetitive -yet varied – design elements that keep the eye engaged in a continuous game of discovery with a surprise around every corner.

Classic Art Nouveau artists (Alphonse Mucha, William Morris, Louis Comfort Tiffany, et al) did not work exclusively in the medium of engraving, and like all mediums, metal carries its own set of limitations related to color palettes. Rather than relying on color to bring out the vignettes of motifs that typically define the Art Nouveau style, Master Engraver Carter delicately created textures that create contrast between the segmented areas. A variety of techniques including bulino, as well as low and high relief carving, were also employed.

The design strategy employed by Carter involved segmenting the pistols into interestingly shaped panels, each filled with different but related designs and textures. The design theme and panels create the illusion of perpetual motion as the gun is handled and turned, a technique and presentation inspired by the Aesthetic Movement.

Lastly, enjoy a set of images showing this beautiful work of art from different angles.

If you think you can afford to become a Le Nouveau owner, you’ll need to call the company for a price quotation.

Images from www.cabotguns.com