Private collectors will have a rare opportunity next week to buy various items that once belonged to Napoleon Bonaparte, as an auction is to be held May 5 to mark the 200th anniversary of the famous French emperor's death.
A bronze statue of Napoleon Bonaparte in uniform displayed at Osenat auction house before being put on auction, in Fontainebleau, near Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
The former French emperor died May 5, 1821, aged 51, on the southern Atlantic Ocean island of Saint Helena, where he had been banished by the British following his defeat in 1815 at the Battle of Waterloo.
A watch that belonged to the French Emperor Napoleon I marked with the initial “N” and a crown motif is pictured ahead of its auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
Around 360 objects in total will be put on sale by auction house Osenat May 5, with other highlights including a lock of Napoleon's hair, a pair of his silk stockings and a long-sleeved shirt embroidered with the letter “N” in red stitching.
An auctioneer holds a plate that belonged to French Emperor Napoleon I ahead of its auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
A blood-stained cloth that was placed over the emperor's body during an autopsy, will also be on sale and is estimated to fetch up to 15,000 euros ($18,000).
Items including a bust of his wife Josephine belonging to French Emperor Napoleon I are pictured ahead of their auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
The blood-stained cloth comes with a note written in 1875 by the Duke of Bassano, whose father was gifted the bandage by the marquis of Montholon, a military general who followed Napoleon into exile on Saint Helena.
A sled belonging to Empress Josephine is pictured ahead of its auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
"In this bloodstain, you have the emperor's DNA. You cannot get more intimate than that," auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat told Reuters.
Items belonging to French Emperor Napoleon I are pictured ahead of their auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France April 30, 2021.
Many of the artifacts on sale were brought back from Longwood House, Napoleon's final residence, a musty-smelling house on the windswept, rat-infested island.
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat holds a cotton strip stained with the blood of French Emperor Napoleon I that was used during his autopsy ahead of its auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
"Napoleon owned a considerable number of shirts," said Osenat. "He was obsessed with cleanliness to the extreme. He took three to four baths a day, got through 20 to 30 liters a month of cologne and was always changing his shirts."
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat holds a necklace made of the hair of French Emperor Napoleon I and gold thread ahead of its auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
His attire was part of a carefully crafted image. Napoleon and his “bicorne” hats are indelibly linked in the public imagination. In the early 19th century, such hats were worn with the corners pointing front and back.
Caricatures depicting French Emperor Napoleon I are pictured ahead of their auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau, south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
However, Napoleon changed the angle to make himself noticed, said Jean-Christophe Chataignier, director of the auction house's Empire department. "Napoleon wanted to create a look," said Chataignier.
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat holds a pair of stockings that belonged to French Emperor Napoleon I before their auction, at Osenat auction house in Fontainebleau south of Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat holds the large square handkerchief marked with the initial "N" under a crown, having belonged to French Emperor Napoleon I, during a visit at Osenat auction house before being put on auction for the bicentenary of Napoleon's death, in Fontainebleau, near Paris, France, April 30, 2021.
