The auction house Sotheby’s is preparing to sell relics belonging to Napoleon I Bonaparte. The auction will take place on June 25 in Paris, informs Art News.
The auction will feature one of the most significant collections of Napoleonic items ever to appear on the market. It is about a hundred lots from the private collection of the well-known French antiquarian Pierre-Jean Chalenson. Among the exhibits are imperial furniture, ancient paintings and “deeply personal relics that reflect the inner world of Napoleon Bonaparte.”
“Echoing Napoleon’s words, ‘What a novel is my life!’, this collection reads like a vivid historical epic, unfolding on battlefields and in boudoirs, ceremonial halls and private rooms, alternating chronicles of power, politics and splendor with the vulnerability, ambition and contradictions of the man behind the legends.”, says the message.
Among the key lots is the famous Napoleon hat, the value of which was estimated at 800,000 euros. Also for sale will be the herald’s sword and staff, which were used during the emperor’s coronation in 1804 in Notre Dame de Paris. Their estimated cost is 400,000 euros. In addition, the emperor’s personal seal, made of gold and ebony, will be presented, which can be purchased for approximately 250,000 euros.
Sotheby’s will also offer items of a more intimate nature, such as Napoleon’s stockings and his folding bed.
