The illustrious two-pointed bicorn hat worn by Napoléon Bonaparte 200 years ago now has a new home as the iconic item had been sold at an auction for €1,884,000 (£1.5 million).
The well-known hat is now in the care of an unnamed South Korean collector, who won the item during the sale of the French emperor's possessions held in Fontainebleau. The royal family of Monaco decided to auction the prized items in an effort to raise funds for the renovation of the palace. Osena, the renowned French auctioneers, were tasked to conduct the event.
"Due to necessary rehabilitation of the Palais de Monaco, which will enhance our cultural heritage, I prefer to give a new lease of life to this collection of objects and relics, by organizing a visible and grouped auction, rather than to see them remain in the shadows," shared current monarch Prince Albert II in the document attached to the items.
The auctioneers initially pegged the two-pointed bicorn hat to sell at roughly €400,000. Needless to say, the sale exceeded their expectations. The hat was first secured by one of the vets in Napoleon's home, Joseph Giraud. It was later on bought by the royal family of Monaco in 1926, where it remained as part of their collection until its recent sale.
Apart from the black beaver felt hat, the auctions offered other remarkable items such as hair strands of Napoleon, the gloves he wore when he fought in the battle of Waterloo, official decorations, a diamond-studded sword, select furniture, the leader's stockings, rifles, and even a painting of Paul Delaroche. Another prized item at the event was the embellished footwear worn by Napoleon's son for his christening. Overall, the auction offered approximately 1,000 items amassed by Louis II, the great grandfather of Prince Albert, from the year 1895 to 1920.
