French Military Dress Shako

This inkwell represents a French military dress shako (shako d’officier) from the Second French Empire (1852–1870) during the reign of Emperor Napoleon III.

Identification & Provenance

• Origin: France (likely manufactured in Paris as a luxury desk accessory, officer’s presentation piece, or patriotic souvenir).
• Type of Headdress: French Infantry Officer Shako (patterned closely after the Modèle 1858/1860 officer dress shakos).

Who Wore This Style

• French Army Officers: Worn by commissioned officers of the Line Infantry (Infanterie de Ligne) and select units of Napoleon III’s Imperial Guard (Garde Impériale).
• Military Academy Cadets: The red-and-black color scheme with gold braid also closely mirrors the ceremonial headdress worn by officer cadets at the prestigious French military academy, the École Spéciale Militaire de Saint-Cyr.
• The combination of the madder-red (garance) cloth body, black band, and metallic gold galloon braid was a clear mark of officer rank.

Dating & Historical Significance

• Estimated Age: Circa 1855–1870.
• Insignia Clues: In 1854, Napoleon III decreed that the French Imperial Eagle (Aigle impériale) must be surmounted by an Imperial Crown (Couronne impériale). Following the collapse of the Second Empire in September 1870 after the Franco-Prussian War, all imperial crowned eagles were immediately abolished with the founding of the Third Republic.

Detailed Description

• Insignia & Cockade: The front face features a stamped gilt-brass imperial eagle grasping thunderbolts (foudre) and a laurel branch in its talons, surmounted by a separate stamped gilt-brass imperial crown. Just above the crown are the frayed, weathered silk remnants of the national French tricolor cockade (cocarde).
• Exterior Body: Formed over a rigid core covered in scarlet wool broadcloth and black glazed leather/leatherette displaying an authentic, age-appropriate network of fine surface craquelure.
• Embellishments: Tracing the upper crown edge, vertical side seams, and lower band (bourdalou) is a scalloped metallic gold bullion braid, terminated at the sides with miniature brass rosette buttons.
• Lid & Well Mechanism: The hat’s flat crown forms a removable drop-in lid fitted with a turned brass ball finial. The interior opens to reveal a heavy, turned brass collar and reservoir sleeve that originally held a removable white porcelain insert. The underside of the hat is finished with polished black japanned leather.