Snuffbox owned by Napoleon Bonaparte

An antique snuffbox owned by Napoleon Bonaparte

Owned during his exile on St Helena, circa 1815-1821

Offered with an unbroken 203-year chain of provenance

A lacquered snuff box dating from the early 19th Century, and measuring 5.5cm x 3cm x 2cm.

The lid is decorated with a chequerboard pattern line detail with gold coloured central cartouche.

Attached inside the lid is a silver engraved plaque, which bears the inscription:

“THIS BOX BELONGED TO NAPOLEON AND WAS GIVEN BY MADAME BERTRAND TO LIEUT. HAYNE R.A. AT ST HELENA 8TH MAY 1821”

The box is preserved unrestored in its original condition, with a beautifully worn patina and signs of frequent use.

Following his defeat at the Battle of Waterloo in 1815, Napoleon was captured and exiled to the remote island of St Helena, 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa.

He was kept under constant guard by British soldiers, and forced to live in much-reduced circumstances. Tormented by his captors and plagued by loneliness and regret, he passed away on May 5, 1821.