Objects

The “Maison de l’Empereur” or “Emperor’s Household” was created after the proclamation of the Empire and was largely inspired by the “Maison du Roi” or King’s Household during the Ancien Régime. This institution went back a long time: sovereigns had always had an officer at…

When Bonaparte became First Consul, head of state, he wanted a ceremonial weapon for grand state occasions, based on the example of the very lavish sword made in 1784 for Louis XVI. He specified that it should “be in keeping with the customs related to…

The jewellery worn by the Ladies in Waiting or Dames of Empress Eugenie’s Household are indicative of the sumptuous nature of the Empire and the brilliant technicity of French jewellery. The broach here also had a practical use: unlike the men in service to the crown, the ladies had no uniform. A specific broach was […]

As early as the end of the 18th century, Jean-Baptiste Isabey was celebrated as one of the greatest French miniaturists ever. At that time, the miniature genre was at its apogee in terms of popularity, a popularity supported by the Revolutionary wars and later the campaigns of Napoleon, since each soldier wanted to take with […]

On 2 December, 1804, the Cathedral of Notre-Dame de Paris was the theatre for the coronation and consecration of Napoleon I (otherwise known as the “Sacre”). And in correspondence to the splendour and grandeur of the ceremony, particular attention was paid to the imperial insignia. In addition to the “honneurs de Charlemagne”, in other words […]