The hat that belonged to the former emperor of France, Napoleon Bonaparte, and is thought to date back to 1810, is up for sale.
The new owner of the historical hat of former French Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte has been announced. A bicorn hat from the period when Bonaparte ruled the French Empire in the 19th century was sold for 1.9 million euros at the auction held at the Osenat Auction House in Paris, the capital of France. The identity of the person who bought the hat has not yet been shared with the public.
Napoleon’s integral accessory
Auctioneer Jean Pierre Osenat said in his statement: “People recognized this hat everywhere. They knew Napoleon was there when they saw him on the battlefields. In his private life, he would either carry the hat on his head or in his hand, and sometimes throw it on the ground. “It was an image, the symbol of the emperor,” he said.
It is estimated that Napoleon owned approximately 120 bicorn hats during his lifetime, and only 20 remain today, most of them in private collections. Napoleon’s hat was valued at between 600 thousand and 800 thousand euros before the auction.
Napoleon’s hat was sold along with Napoleon’s belongings, which were brought together by an industrialist who died last year, while other items included a silver plate looted from Napoleon’s carriage after the defeat at Waterloo in 1815, and a razor, a silver toothbrush and scissors. A wooden make-up bag containing her and other belongings was also included.