Napoleonic Bicorn Hat Figural Inkstand

This inkwell is designed as a tribute to Napoleon Bonaparte, dating from the Second French Empire.

1. Description and Materials

• The Base: The foundation is a slab of carved and polished marble or alabaster.
  • Significance: Marble or alabaster was a preferred base material for upscale 19th-century desk sets, providing stability, weight, and an elegant, neoclassical contrast to the metallic elements.
• The Figural Elements (Metal): All the major decorative components are made of cast metal.
  • The Hat & Pillow: The pillow/cushion and the Bicorn Hat (which would hold the inkwell liner) are finely cast metal. This metal is spelter (zinc alloy, bronzed).
  • The Glaze/Finish: The metal has been finished with a dark, bronzed or patinated finish.
  • The Sword/Medal: The sword, medal is also metal, gilded or finished in contrasting brass tones to highlight the detail.

1. Functionality

The design expertly combines commemorative sculpture with functional desk storage:

• Inkwell: The bicorn hat acts as the inkwell housing. It has a hinged lid to reveal an inner cavity designed to hold a removable glass or metal ink liner (missing).

III. Origin and Age Assessment

• Origin: France (Paris) is the most probable origin. The quality and style are characteristic of the objets d’art produced in Paris for the international market, especially after the re-establishment of the French Empire.
• Age: Mid- to Late 19th Century (c. 1850–1900). The most popular periods for this type of Napoleonic souvenir were:
  • The 1840s (following the return of Napoleon’s ashes to France).
  • The Second Empire (1852–1870), when Napoleon III actively promoted his uncle’s legacy.

This inkstand is a symbol of Imperial Romanticism, where Napoleon is celebrated not as a defeated general, but as a timeless military hero.