Napoleon’s hat and personal items go under the hammer in Paris

Sotheby’s Paris is set to auction over 100 Napoleonic artefacts, including his iconic bicorne hat, personal effects, and love letters, offering an intimate glimpse into the man behind the myth.

100 Napoleonic artefacts set to go up for auction

More than two centuries after his reign came to an end, Napoleon Bonaparte continues to capture the world’s imagination. Now, over 100 of his personal artefacts — from battlefield memorabilia to relics of his tumultuous love life — are on public display in Paris ahead of what Sotheby’s calls one of the most significant Napoleonic auctions ever held.

The event comes in the wake of Ridley Scott’s 2023 biopic Napoleon, which brought the emperor’s dramatic life back into mainstream conversation and piqued interest among younger audiences. Slated for 25 June, the auction is expected to fetch upwards of 7 million euros (approximately $7.5 million).

Among the highlights is Napoleon’s iconic bicorne hat — the black felt chapeau he famously wore sideways to stand out on smoky battlefields. Worn and unmistakable, it’s anticipated to sell for more than half a million dollars. “Put a bicorne on a table, and people think of Napoleon immediately,” said Louis-Xavier Joseph, head of European furniture at Sotheby’s. “It’s like the laurel crown of Julius Caesar.”

But it’s not just military grandeur on offer. The collection draws deeply from the emperor’s private world, painting a more nuanced portrait of a man both strategic and sentimental. On display are the handwritten codicil of his will, drafted while he was gravely ill and exiled on Saint Helena; the red portfolio that held his divorce papers from Empress Josephine; and a dressing table designed for her personal use.

Other standout items include a sleeve from his red velvet coat and a religious marriage certificate that marked the official start of his storied relationship with Josephine. For those fascinated by the emotional undercurrents of historical power, the inclusion of their love letters adds a compelling layer of intimacy.

“Napoleon was a great lover,” said Joseph. “His letters are full of fervour, love and passion. He was also acutely aware of his image — possibly one of the first public figures to carefully curate both his public and private personas.”

The exhibition, open to the public until 24 June, has been transformed into a sensory experience by celebrity designer Jean-Charles de Castelbajac. Known for his eclectic collaborations with the likes of Lady Gaga and Pope John Paul II, Castelbajac has created a theatrical atmosphere complete with fog, music and immersive sets.

“This isn’t a mausoleum, it’s a pop culture installation,” he explained. “Today’s collectors buy a Napoleon artefact the way they’d buy a guitar from Jimi Hendrix. They want a cabinet of curiosities.”

One of the rooms draws from the camouflage tones of Fontainebleau, while another features Napoleon’s legendary folding bed, which Castelbajac has draped in original canvas. “I wanted to create the sensation of solitude,” he said. “You can feel he was alone, facing all that he had built. There’s a ghostly presence.”

Castelbajac, whose ancestor fought in Napoleon’s doomed Russian campaign, added a personal flourish to the show: a green flag. “Napoleon always wanted a green flag to replace the tricolore, but he never got one,” he said. “So I made it for Sotheby’s.”

For many, the exhibition serves as a reminder that Napoleon was not just a historical titan, but a complex, flawed man. “You can’t escape him,” said Parisian schoolteacher Laure Mallet, 51. “He’s part of being French.”

As 22-year-old visitor Djamal Oussedik put it, “Some admire him, some blame him for everything. But seeing his hat and his bed? It reminds you he was real.”

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