1 of 2 Black felt hat that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte is auctioned in Paris Photo: Claudia Greco/Portal Black felt hat that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte is auctioned in Paris Photo: Claudia Greco/Portal
A twopointed hat, also known as bicorne, black, with a bluewhitered rosette, which belonged to Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte, will be auctioned this Sunday (19) by the Osenat auction house in Paris. It is expected that the sales value will reach 800,000 euros (around R$ 4.2 million with direct conversion).
According to Belgian author Yves Moerman, who recorded this artifact in 2007, the accessory was used by the military leader “in the middle of the empire,” Osenat said in a statement.
The traditional black felt hat was a trademark of the emperor and symbolized the historical character of Napoleon. He was worn “en bataille,” that is, with the peaks parallel to the shoulders, in contrast to most of his officers, who wore hats “en colonne,” that is, perpendicular to the shoulders.
Over the course of 15 years, Napoleon wore around 120 hats, which is why these examples are relatively common on the market.
2 of 2 A hat that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte is estimated to sell for R$4 million Photo: Claudia Greco/Portal A hat that belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte is estimated to sell for R$4 million Photo: Claudia Greco/Portal
The item, auctioned by the Osenat auction house, is adorned with a headdress that Napoleon attached to his hat in 1815 as he crossed the Mediterranean from his exile on Elba to Antibes, from where he briefly returned to power.
The hat is being offered for sale along with a nightgown worn by the emperor during his final exile on the island of St. Helena and a copy of his last will and testament, written under Napoleon’s dictates by the Count of Montholon.
In 2014, a South Korean businessman bought a Napoleon hat for 1.8 million euros (about R$5.8 million at the time), a record sale for this artifact, the auction of which was also organized by Osenat.
The accessory was in good condition and belonged to the collection of the Royal Family of Monaco.
In 2018, another hat, which auction house De Baecque et Associés said was used during the Battle of Waterloo, sold for 350,000 euros (about R$1.5 million at the time). The artifact belonged to the collection of Jean Louis Noisiez, founder of the cleaning and other services group GSF.