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Sellers's Details

WALPOLES

Tel: +44 (0)207 7275263

Email: [email protected]

https://www.decorativecollective.com/dealers/walpoles

Item Details

A fine French snuffbox made of pressed maple or birch with a tortoiseshell lining; the detail magnificent. Titled beneath the scene NAPOL.IMP. AUG. MONU. MDCCCV.


dia: 3 1/2 in x 7/8 in


The original Place Vendôme was begun in 1698 as a monument to the glory of the armies of King Louis XIV and demolished by the Revolutionaries in 1792. In 1806, or '05 according to this box, the site began its occupation by Napoleon's magnificent monument to himself. Modelled after Emporer Trajan's Column it was to celebrate the Victory of Austerlitz. According to Napoleon's propaganda the 425 spiralling bronze plaques were made from cannon taken from the combined forces of Europe. The list of sculptors employed in the making of the column, numbering some 30 of the best, is as impressive as the column itself. The principal designer of the whole thing was Pierre-Nolasque Bergeret. Completed in 1810, the figure of Napoleon was removed in 1816 following the restoration of the Bourbon Dynasty. During the the Paris Commune of 1871 the dismantling of this symbol of imperialism was ordered and the column was dismantled, the plaques however being preserved.


Following the suppression of the Paris Commune it was decided to rebuild Napoleon's column, the often changed statue of Napoleon now replaced for the final time with a copy of the original.


 

  • Period:
    • Price: £895.00
    • €1,033 Euro
    • $1,204 US Dollar
  • Location: London