Large, beautiful bee in high relief. - Lot 253

Lot n° 253
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Estimation :
3500 - 4500 EUR
Large, beautiful bee in high relief. - Lot 253
Large, beautiful bee in high relief. Embroidered in gold canetille. Rare model in very good condition. 14.5 x 12 cm. Framed under glass. 1st Empire period Provenance : -Collector of First Empire historical memorabilia -Collection Comtesse Viviane de WITT. Related work: Bee from a series of seven made for a Throne Room, possibly Fontainebleau, Inv. MM.40.47.2982, Château de Malmaison, (very similar dimensions). Historical background: THE BEE, AN IMPERIAL SYMBOL According to tradition, the Emperor was looking for symbols to represent his power and a new dynasty in continuity with royalty, but breaking with the tradition of the Ancien Régime. Jean-Jacques Régis de Cambacérès, archchancellor of the Empire, told him about the bee in the following terms: "The image of a Republic with a leader". Other references to antiquity include Virgil, who saw in the organization of the beehive a perfect social model for man. As a result, bees were adopted and used endlessly, appearing on objects linked to power (thrones, flags, marshal's batons...), or on works of art of the period (porcelain, carpets, furniture, goldsmiths...). Some 1,500 of them, glittering with gold, were used on the purple velvet cloak worn by the Emperor at his coronation, or to enhance the canopy of thrones, palace hangings, courts and imperial administrations. Temporary importation The buyer will be required to pay import duties, i.e. 5.5% in addition to the hammer price, unless the item is immediately re-exported outside the European Union. Work in temporary import The buyer will have to pay import fees of 5.5% in addition to the hammer price, unless the buyer immediately re-exports the lot outside the European Union.
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