Napoleon's Relics: Fragments of Deathbed and Coffin
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Relics of emperor Napoleon I. Fragments of the cashmere flannel worn by Napoleon on his deathbed in St Helena, together with a fragment of his mahogany coffin. Wax seal verso of Louis Joseph Marchand, who managed the return of Napoleon's remains December 1840. Inscription verso in the hand of Valerie Masuyer, lady in waiting to Queen Hortense de Beauharnais Bonaparte. Within an envelope addressed to Madame Royall Tyler [nee Elisina Palamidessi de Castelvecchio]. Provenance: Count Louis de Castelvecchio 1826-1869; thence by direct descent to current owner - private collection, ACT.
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- Verso - Verso is the "back" side of a sheet of paper, art work, coin or medal. The front side is "recto".
- Mahogany - Mahogany is a dense, close grained red-coloured timber from the West Indies and Central America. It was first imported into Europe in the the early 18th century and its use continued through the 19th century. It was popular for furniture making because of its strength, the wide boards available, the distinctive grain on some boards, termed flame mahogany and the rich warm colour of the timber when it was polished.. The "flame" was produced where a limb grew out from the trunk of the tree, and this timber was usually sliced into veneers for feature panels on doors, backs and cornices.
Some terms used to describe mahogany relate to the country from which it originally came, such as "Cuban" mahogany, "Honduras" mahogany etc. However unless the wood has been tested the names assigned are more a selling feature, rather than a true indication of the timber's origin.
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