A cast iron inkwell formed as the sarcophagus of Napoleon - image-1

Lot 326 Dα

A cast iron inkwell formed as the sarcophagus of Napoleon

Auction 1150 - overview Berlin
16.05.2020, 12:00 - The Prussian Sale
Estimate: 800 € - 1.000 €
Result: 625 € (incl. premium)

A cast iron inkwell formed as the sarcophagus of Napoleon

Cast in 11 pieces: The lid with hat and staff (partially defective), the cushion, lid, inner lid, two wells (both lids missing), the sarcophagus, and the figure of Napoleon. Unmarked. H 11.4, W 9.2, D 5.8 cm.
Königlich Preußische Gießereien, circa 1815 - 20.

Literature

Cf. cat.: Eisen statt Gold, Berlin 1982, no. 431. The inkwell was produced following Napoleon's defeat at Leipzig. Willmuth Arenhövel emphasises in his description of the object that it was not intended as a realistic reproduction of the actual sarcophagus in Les Invalides, but a "freely rendered model drawn from Classical sources" (p. 202).