A Moorish sword given by Napoleon I to a British officer after Waterloo will be auctioned on November 12 in London. This historic piece, free of embellishments, could fetch up to 50,000 pounds at the sale.
It might go unnoticed were it not associated with Napoleon I: a Moorish sword, "likely seized from a defeated soldier" and given by the deposed emperor to a British officer, will be auctioned on November 12 in London.
This 80-centimeter object, with a curved, still very sharp blade, is being sold by the specialized auction house Charles Miller Ltd. The starting estimate is set between 30,000 and 50,000 pounds (approximately 35,000 to 59,000 euros).
This combat sword is devoid of embellishments or precious stones. "It could be a mundane sword if it hadn’t belonged to Napoleon," assures Charles Miller in an interview with AFP.
The origin of the sword remains mysterious. Its curved shape is "typical of Moorish swords," notes the expert, who believes it was "probably seized from a defeated soldier and kept as a war trophy" by Napoleon.
Handling the object carefully, the seller points out a discreet inscription: "gift from Napoleon Bonaparte to James Kearney, 1815." The sword is also mentioned in Kearney’s will, a marine officer, preserved in the national archives.
Forced to abdicate on April 6, 1814, and exiled to the island of Elba between Italy and his native Corsica, Napoleon reclaimed his throne a year later, only to be ultimately defeated at Waterloo. This time, the English exiled him to Saint Helena, a tiny island in the South Atlantic, where his correspondence and supplies were managed by British ships. It was in this context that he met James Kearney, whose frigate delivered wine to him.
The two men, bonded by their wartime experiences, developed a mutual understanding that led Napoleon to gift the sword to the captain. It has remained in the same family’s hands for more than two centuries until James Kearney’s descendants recently decided to sell it.
"As it is quite a standard piece, Napoleon probably didn’t feel the need to keep it. And it’s ultimately a logical gift for a military man," concludes Charles Miller.
With AFP
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