A characteristic bicorne, in which the emperor's DNA was discovered on two hairs that had apparently been in the hat for the last 200 years, will drive the price through the roof on October 27, when it will go under the hammer in London. Here's the story.
... [+]
Napoleon, on display at the Osenat auction house in Paris. Nearly 1,000 objects will be put on sale on November 15 and 16, with the highlight being a two-cornered hat said to have been worn by Napoleon during the Battle of Marengo in Italy in 1800. AFP PHOTO / PATRICK KOVARIK The last Napoleon felted beaver bicorne, pictured above before its auction in Paris in 2014, went for $2.2 million to a South Korean collector.
By definition, all possessions belonging to Napoleon have extraordinary provenances, the “war hats” especially so, but the provenance of the current bicorne is especially fetching. Bought from a modest German auction house by an anonymous collector, it was not known by either of those parties to have belonged to the French emperor. But: The collector must have at least had a suspicion.
He or she let it be examined, and in this microscopically close examination, according to Bonhams, two hairs were found bearing the emperor’s distinctive DNA. The chance that those hairs of Napoleon’s could have been placed in a vintage bicorne not belonging to the Frenchman does, marginally, exist, but is considered as microscopic as the hairs themselves.
Back in the Pleistocene, at military school in the South, some of my dorm-mates and I started a mimeographed—remember mimeographs?—broadside called the TrustyBack in the Pleistocene, at military school in the South, some of my dorm-mates and I started a mimeographed—remember mimeographs?—broadside called the Trusty Tribunal. We were pamphleteers in the 18th-century sense, with approximately the same tech, but at a military school—M.A.S.H, basically, minus the operating rooms and the grownups.
Canada Latest News, Canada Headlines
Similar News:You can also read news stories similar to this one that we have collected from other news sources.
Goldman Sachs picks London for private-equity IPO as FTSE climbs after U.S. jobs dataGoldman Sachs' Petershill Partners is set to be one of the largest publicly traded alternative asset managers after its planned London IPO
Read more »
Phillip Schofield jokes 'touch-ups are back' as he returns to This MorningPhillip Schofield and Holly Willoughby returned to This Morning on Monday and Phillip was excited to reunite with one colleague in particular.
Read more »
Eva Longoria, Shonda Rhimes and Jurnee Smollett Among Those Exiting Time’s Up Board Amid Leadership ChangesTime’s Up’s governing board of directors has issued a new statement about the impending transition of leadership within the group, which includes the exits of several prominent board me…
Read more »
Kelly Ripa, More Celebrity Parents Share Mixed Feelings About Empty NestsCelebrity parents have documented the ups and downs of becoming empty nesters over the years, from Kelly Ripa to Candace Cameron Bure.
Read more »
Someone Paid $72,500 For The Weirdest Piece Of Elvis Memorabilia EverThe King can still cause a sensation on the auction block.
Read more »