Napoleon's world is on display for a landmark auction, from divorce papers to his iconic hat
His battered military hat. A sleeve from his red velvet coat. Even the divorce papers that ended one of history's most tormented romances — with Josephine, the empress who haunted him to the end.
Two centuries after his downfall, Napoleon remains both revered and controversial in France — but above all, unavoidable. Polls have shown that many admire his vision and achievements, while others condemn his wars and authoritarian rule. Nearly all agree his legacy still shapes the nation.
'These are not just museum pieces. They're fragments of a life that changed history,' said Louis-Xavier Joseph, Sotheby's head of European furniture, who helped assemble the trove. 'You can literally hold a piece of Napoleon's world in your hand.'
From battlefields to boudoirs
The auction — aiming to make in excess of 7 million euros ($7.5 million) — is a biography in objects. The centerpiece is Napoleon's iconic bicorne hat, the black felt chapeau he wore in battle — with wings parallel to his shoulders — so soldiers and enemies could spot him instantly through the gunpowder haze.
'Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately,' Joseph said. 'It's like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.'
The hat is estimated to sell for at least over half a million dollars.
For all the pageantry — throne, swords, the Grand Eagle of the Legion of Honor — the auction's true power comes from its intimacy. It includes the handwritten codicil of Napoleon's final will, composed in paranoia and illness on Saint Helena.
There is the heartbreakingly personal: the red portfolio that once contained his divorce decree from Josephine, the religious marriage certificate that formalized their love and a dressing table designed for the empress. Her famed mirror reflects the ambition and tragedy of their alliance.
'Napoleon was a great lover; his letters that he wrote are full of fervor, of love, of passion,' Joseph said. 'It was also a man who paid attention to his image. Maybe one of the first to be so careful of his image, both public and private.'
A new generation of exposure
The auction's timing is cinematic. The recent biopic grossed over $220 million worldwide and reanimated Napoleon's myth for a TikTok generation hungry for stories of ambition, downfall and doomed romance.
The auction preview is open to the public, running through June 24, with the auction set for June 25.
Not far from the Arc de Triomphe monument dedicated to the general's victories, Djamal Oussedik, 22, shrugged: 'Everyone grows up with Napoleon, for better or worse. Some people admire him, others blame him for everything. But to see his hat and his bed, you remember he was a real man, not just a legend.'
'You can't escape him, even if you wanted to. He's part of being French," said teacher Laure Mallet, 51.
History as spectacle
The exhibition is a spectacle crafted by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac, famed for dressing Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II.
'I wanted to electrify history,' Castelbajac said. 'This isn't a mausoleum, it's a pop culture installation. Today's collectors buy a Napoleon artifact the way they'd buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.'
He's filled the show with fog, hypnotic music and immersive rooms. One is inspired by the camouflage colors of Fontainebleau. Another is anchored by Napoleon's legendary folding bed. 'I create the fog in the entrance of the Sotheby's building because the elements of nature were an accomplice to Napoleon's strategy,' the designer said.
Castelbajac, who said his ancestor fought in Napoleon's Russian campaign, brought a personal touch. 'I covered the emperor's bed in original canvas. You can feel he was just alone, facing all he had built. There's a ghostly presence."
He even created something Napoleon only dreamed of. 'Napoleon always wanted a green flag instead of the blue, white, red tricolore of the revolution," he said, smiling. "He never got one. So I made it for Sotheby's.'
Hashtags
Try Our AI Features
Explore what Daily8 AI can do for you:
Comments
No comments yet...
Related Articles
Newsweek
41 minutes ago
- Newsweek
Rescue Dog Meets Rescue Horse for First Time, Takes Unexpected Turn
Based on facts, either observed and verified firsthand by the reporter, or reported and verified from knowledgeable sources. Newsweek AI is in beta. Translations may contain inaccuracies—please refer to the original content. You might expect a dog and a horse meeting for the first time to involve a cautious stare, a curious sniff, or maybe a wagging tail. But when a 4-year-old rescue dog named Petal was introduced to Simon, a 3-year-old horse, things took an unexpected turn. Instead of a gentle greeting, Simon leaned in and gave Petal's head a nibble. Fortunately, the encounter was all in good fun and no animals were harmed in the making of the TikTok clip shared to @boochaces. So far, the August 15 video has already amassed over 1.1 million views and more than 191,700 likes. Newsweek spoke to Caitlin Cimini, founder of the New Jersey-based sanctuary Rancho Relaxo, who was holding Petal during the viral moment. From left: Simon the horse nudges Petal the dog's head; and Moose the equine does the same thing. From left: Simon the horse nudges Petal the dog's head; and Moose the equine does the same thing. TikTok/@boochaces "Petal is so sweet, quiet and gentle," she said. "She is used to the chaos of a hoarding situation." Petal's story is one of resilience. The Animal Humane Society estimates that up to 250,000 animals per year are victims of hoarding. Newsweek spoke to Justine Wilkinson, an environmental health officer at Northumbria University in England, who studies the psychological roots of animal hoarding. Wilkinson said: "People who hoard animals often report living in a chaotic domestic environment during childhood; childhood problems with caregivers, e.g., unstable, neglectful, abusive, absent, or inconsistent; and stressful life events in child and adulthood. "They also report relying on animals during childhood, suggesting provision as alternative attachment figures and providing security without fear of rejection." The clip features not just Simon, but also Moose—the first horse who approaches Petal. The 10-year-old black horse goes in for what sanctuary owner Cimini described as an "abrasive" sniff, while Simon follows with his now-infamous nibble. "He is still so curious as he is young," Cimini said. Both horses were rescued from slaughter and have since thrived at Rancho Relaxo. "Simon is a very sociable horse," Cimini said. "He was rescued from slaughter two years ago, and you would never know he came from facing that terrible fate. He is a happy, affectionate horse. "Moose was originally rescued from slaughter by a rescue that ended up failing the animals under their care—which is when we stepped in. So, he was saved twice," Cimini added. TikTok Reacts As expected, TikTok users had plenty to say about the moment that is described as an "unforgettable experience," according to the on-screen text. "Do you wanna meet a horse for the first time? Dog: *entire life flashes past it*" joked one commenter, racking up more than 12,000 likes. Another wrote: "Simon asking is this a sweet treat." A third posted: "That poor dog wondering if life on streets is better."
San Francisco Chronicle
5 hours ago
- San Francisco Chronicle
Learn about the 5 people charged in connection with Matthew Perry's death
LOS ANGELES (AP) — One year ago, federal authorities announced that five people had been charged in connection with the ketamine overdose death of Matthew Perry. All five have now agreed to plead guilty, including the personal assistant of the 'Friends' star, an old acquaintance and two doctors. On Monday, Jasveen Sangha, who prosecutors say was a dealer known as the 'Ketamine Queen,' became the fifth and final defendant to reach a deal and avoid trial. Here is a look at each of the defendants. Jasveen Sangha Sangha admitted in her plea agreement that she sold Perry the lethal dose of ketamine in the days before his death on Oct. 23, 2023. A 42-year-old who was born in Britain, raised in the United States and has dual citizenship, Sangha's social media accounts before her indictment last year showed a jet-setting lifestyle, with photos of herself in posh spaces alongside rich-and-famous faces in Spain, Japan and Dubai along with her dual homes of London and Los Angeles. Prosecutors say that lifestyle was funded by a drug business she ran for at least five years from her apartment in LA's San Fernando Valley. They say she presented herself as 'a celebrity drug dealer with high quality goods" and missed no opportunity to promote the idea that she was known to customers and others as the 'Ketamine Queen.' Her lawyers have derided the title as a 'media-friendly' moniker. Sangha went to high school in Calabasas, California — perhaps best known as home to the Kardashians — and went to college at the University of California, Irvine, graduating in 2005 and going on to work at Merrill Lynch. She later got an MBA from the Hult International Business School in London. She was connected to Perry through his acquaintance and her co-defendant, Erik Fleming. In a raid of her apartment in March 2024, authorities said they found large amounts of cocaine, methamphetamine and ketamine. She was arrested and released on bond. In August 2024, she was indicted again with charges that tied her to Perry's death, and has been held without bail ever since. CHARGES: Three counts of distribution of ketamine, one count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death or serious bodily injury and one count of maintaining a drug-involved premises. SENTENCING: A judge will set her sentencing in the coming months after she appears in court to officially change her plea. She could get up to 45 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: Sangha's lawyer Mark Geragos says 'She's taking responsibility for her actions.' Kenneth Iwamasa Iwamasa, Perry's live-in personal assistant, was intimately involved in the actor's illegal ketamine use, acting as his drug messenger and personally giving injections, according to his plea agreement. It was the 60-year-old Iwamasa who found Perry dead in the hot tub of his Pacific Palisades home on a day when he'd given him several injections. He would become the first to reach a deal with prosecutors as they sought to use him as an essential witness against other defendants. Iwamasa said he worked with co-defendants to get ketamine on Perry's behalf, including Dr. Salvador Plasencia, who taught him how to give Perry the injections. 'Found the sweet spot but trying different places led to running out,' Iwamasa told Plasencia in one text message. Iwamasa said in his plea deal that he injected Perry six to eight times per day in the last few days of his life. CHARGE: One count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine causing death. SENTENCING: He's scheduled to be sentenced November 19 and could get up to 15 years in prison. Dr. Salvador Plasencia 'I wonder how much this moron will pay?' That was a text message Plasencia sent to a fellow doctor when he learned Perry wanted to be illegally provided with ketamine, according to a plea agreement where the doctor admitted to selling 20 vials of the drug to the actor in the weeks before his death. Plasencia, a 43-year-old Los Angeles-area doctor known to patients as 'Dr. P,' was one of the two main targets of the prosecution and had been headed for a joint trial with Sangha when he reached the plea agreement in June. According to court records, Perry was connected to Plasencia through another patient. Perry had been getting ketamine legally from his regular doctor as treatment for depression, an off-label but increasingly common use of the surgical anesthetic. But the actor wanted more. Plasencia admitted to personally injecting Perry with some of the initial vials he provided, and left more for Iwamasa to inject, despite the fact that Perry froze up and his blood pressure spiked, after one dose. Plasencia graduated from UCLA's medical school in 2010 and had not been subject to any medical disciplinary actions before the Perry case. He has been free on bond since his indictment. His lawyers said he is caregiver for a toddler child. Plasencia even got to keep practicing medicine after his indictment, but had to inform patients of the charges against him and couldn't prescribe dangerous drugs. He now intends to voluntarily surrender his license to practice, according to his lawyers. CHARGES: Four counts of distribution of ketamine. SENTENCING: He's scheduled to be sentenced Dec. 3 and could get up to 40 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: His lawyers say he's 'profoundly remorseful for the treatment decisions he made while providing ketamine to Matthew Perry.' Erik Fleming Fleming, 55, was an acquaintance of Perry's who learned through a mutual friend that the actor was seeking ketamine, according to his plea agreement. He told Iwamasa in text messages that he had a source known as the 'Ketamine Queen' whose product was 'amazing,' saying she only deals with 'high end and celebs.' In all, prosecutors say, Fleming delivered 50 vials of Sangha's ketamine for Perry's use, including 25 sold for a total of $6,000 to the actor four days before his death. CHARGE: One count of distribution of ketamine resulting in death. SENTENCING: He is scheduled to be sentenced November 12 and could get up to 25 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: Fleming's lawyers have declined comment. Dr. Mark Chavez Chavez, a San Diego doctor who ran a ketamine clinic, was the source of the doses that Plasencia sold to Perry, according to their plea agreements. Chavez admitted to obtaining the ketamine from a wholesale distributor on false pretenses. Chavez, 55, graduated from UCLA's medical school in 2004. He has surrendered his medical license. CHARGE: One count of conspiracy to distribute ketamine. SENTENCING: He is scheduled to become the first defendant sentenced, on Sept. 17. He could get 10 years in prison. WHAT THEY SAID: His lawyer says he's 'incredibly remorseful,' has accepted responsibility and has been 'trying to do everything in his power to right the wrong.' ___ A version of this story first ran on Aug. 15, 2024.
Buzz Feed
8 hours ago
- Buzz Feed
34 Better Ways To Spend Your Coffee Budget
Wavy glass straws you can keep in your bag and break out when you get an impromptu iced coffee at that place you love that only carries paper straws — no one enjoys spending $5 on a fancy latte only to have their straw disintegrate in it after a few minutes. Yuck. This whimsical option is here to save the day! A satisfying instant foot-peeling spray that'll have you saying, "Whoa, whoa, whoa. Was this concocted by a witch in the woods?" because it works so incredibly well you won't believe your eyes as it renews your feet and leaves all of your dead skin in its wake. A Spooky Cutie stress relief coloring book from Coco Wyo (a TikTok famous brand known for creating the most adorable coloring books) featuring big, easy-to-color pictures you'll take one look at and want to scream, "THIS IS SO ADORABLE!!!!!" I'm giving you permission to crack this open and pretend it's nearly cozy szn even if summer has *just* made its debut. Plus, some colored pencils with multi-colored tips that'll transform any boring coloring sesh into something straight out of your wildest dreams. I hope you're imagination is ready to put these babies to work! A 2-in-1 hair bun maker to help you craft a fabulous, flawless updo with minimal effort — perfect for anyone who tends to let their hair air dry (it works best on damp hair). Your new go-to look is about to be unBUNlievable! Or bow-shaped hair clips that'll make even your worst hair days feel a bit more aesthetic — they're so strong you'll find yourself bowing down to their greatness. A stackable oval gem ring with waaaay more bling to it than the engagement ring Jeremiah gives to Belly in The Summer I Turned Pretty (you know, the plain one the Internet can't stop discussing). You can also stack it beautifully with other high-quality Pavoi rings for a fabulous lil' look. Egyptian Diamond Hair, Face and Body Glitter Mist, because Tinker Bell isn't always available to cover you head to toe in shimmer dust. Spray this baby all over for a magical, sparkly, glow with minimal effort. Or a pack of glitter freckles if you don't want to commit to full-on body glitter. They're water-resistant, will shimmer beautifully in the sunlight, and can be easily taken off with makeup remover. Flower vase fridge magnets for anyone who simply doesn't have the space in their kitchen for a full-size planter but longs to bring some florals into their space. Polly Pocket herself couldn't come up with a cuter solution than these cuties!!! The flowers and the vases arrive packaged separately, so you can pretend you're a teeny tiny florist while setting them up on your fridge. A tin of emergency googly eyes because there won't be a single day that passes where you won't have the thought "this family photo could be improved with some silly googly eyes." Keep this pack in your back pocket and break it out when the opportunity presents itself. A sticker pack with a *clean girl aesthetic* you can use to customize your emotional support water bottle so Becky from your yoga class can't try to claim it as her own (again). Monday Haircare Dry Shampoo that'll smell so darn good you won't know why you've waited this long to buy it. It features the scent of gardenias, a built-in keratin treatment (see ya, frizz), and an aesthetically pleasing pale pink bottle to display on your bathroom counter. A 2-in-1 nausea relief inhaler to make you feel like you can finally take on the world — and by that I mean boat rides and long drives. It's designed to help you get rid of overall nausea, motion sickness, and morning sickness. (Where was THIS during my two pregnancies?!) Nivea skin firming gel cream packed with a mystical ingredient (Q10, learn more about it here) for anyone who is looking to firm up their entire body and hydrate *all* of their skin (not just their face). It has more than 17,000 positive reviews (WOW!) and is beloved for how it's worked wonders on reviewers. neck and thighs. Hawaiian Tropic's SPF 30 Mineral Powder Sunscreen Brush that'll finally solve your dilemma over whether to spray/rub sunscreen onto your exposed scalp. Simply brush this translucent powder along your exposed part/hairline (after applying it all over your face, of course) to add some much-needed protection from the sun. A limited edition Eos 24H Moisture Super Balm in a delectable marshmallow fluff flavor that'll hold you over until you can actually sit 'round a campfire and make s'mores with your pals. Oh, and it'll keep your lips feeling hydrated all day and night! Vanilla Velvet Touchland Power Essence Hydrating Body and Hair Fragrance you can easily stow away in your tote to freshen up your scent throughout the day (a must during these gross, sweaty, summer days). An iced coffee enamel pin for anyone who considers themselves a proud member of the I-Drink-Iced-Coffee-No-Matter-The-Temperature-Outside Club. Add this to your tote bag or denim jacket to let the world (and your barista) know *exactly* what you like. A set of five dinosaur nugget pillows that'll make you want to bring your favorite childhood meal out of extinction — they're so plush and cozy you'll want to bury yourself in 'em while your *actual* nugs cook in the air fryer. A lovely 5-inch ceramic planter adorned with a panther design you'll want to show off to everyone that enters your home — it has a drainage hole in the bottom so if you dare to plop a living plant in it you'll be fully equipped! An attachable Stanley Cup snack bowl to take your favorite drinking vessel to the next level — a drinking and snacking vessel! Fill it with cookies, chips, fruit, candy... whatever! Once you've stocked it up, you won't have to leave your bedroom until morning. See ya never. Stunning patterned taper candles you can count on to bring a smile to your face whenever you glance at them atop your mantle. They're too pretty to leave sitting in your Amazon wish list — add 'em to your cart, it's what you and your home decor deserve. A realistic "Things I'll Cancel Later" undated daily planner for the optimistic homebody who makes a ton of plans for themselves, then suddenly has "a headache" when said activity comes along. No judgment here, my friend. A phone umbrella you won't know how you've survived the entire summer without. It suctions to the back of your device and shades the screen so you can happily text your mom about your date from last night or devour the latest beach read everyone on BookTok has been raving about. A miniature wacky waving inflatable tube man that'll make you want to throw your hands up in the air and yell, "WOOHOO!" A magnetic goose holder because *someone* needs to be in charge of keeping your keys from getting lost in the black hole that is your apartment. If you're a fan of the Untitled Goose Game for Nintendo Switch, you won't be able to resist welcoming this literal *silly goose* into your home. A Grim Steeper silicone tea infuser for anyone who feels *dead* until they choke down their first cup of caffeine. No need to hold off until spooky season rolls around the break out this festive friend. A set of mushroom bookmarks that'll both save your spot in your book while also making you feel like you've finally achieved your cottagecore dreams. I can totally see using these in a big ol' science textbook during the school year to mark off different chapters with whimsical flair. A set of Disney Princess–themed playing cards to bring some magic to your daily game of Solitaire. The best part? You won't know whether your deck will be *pink* or *blue* a la Sleeping Beauty's gown in the film until it arrives on your doorstep! A NeeDoh "Dream Drop," a must-have sensory fidget toy for anyone who can't seem to get their brain to focus on one task at a time. (Too many tabs open both literally and figuratively!) This lil' squish block is super satisfying to play with and reviewers love that it isn't sticky (no gross debris to try to clean off). A puppy night-light that'll be the paw-fect companion to your need to pee about three times every night, despite cutting yourself off from drinking water at least an hour before climbing into bed. Sigh, such is life. Anyways, it has a lovely glow to it *and* has different color settings so you can customize it exactly to your up-in-the-middle-of-the-night liking. Ruffled crew socks with delicate flowers embroidered along them to bring your cottagecore vibes into a new season. They're breathable (perfect for summer) and will add a little extra *~somethin', somethin'~* to any outfit. And a Taylor Swift–inspired JavaSok covered in recognizable icons Swifties will love showing off as much as they enjoyed watching grainy live streams of the The Eras Tour. While you reminisce about your glory days (aka when you were in a packed stadium trading friendship bracelets with other fans) you can use this to keep your go-to iced latte cold and prevent it from sweating all over your desk.
