Detail of centrefire self-loading pistol, Baby Browning, about 1931, XII.11254. Royal Armouries, CC BY 4.0
Baby Browning (XII.11254)
No one knows precisely when this pocket pistol was made, or who it was made for. What we do know is that its elaborate decoration, in the Art Deco style, makes it highly unusual and of great artistic interest. Different markings on its components tell part of the story. It was made by the Belgian firearms manufacturer Fabrique National de Herstal (FN) during a period when the Art Deco style was popular. It could tell us a much bigger story too. It is stamped with the number 5, which is most likely its serial number. Low serial numbers for FN pistols are rare, thanks to the frequency with which the earliest products failed at proof testing. The number 5 would make it the fifth FN Baby Browning to be produced, and date it to 1931. Such auspicious origins could definitely explain its lavish decoration.