Napoleonic Medal Cabinet with Ancient Egyptian Motifs

[Rusty Greaves]

I came across photos and documentation of this elaborate early 19th century Napoleonic medal storage cabinet in late 2019, that is designed with Ancient Egyptian-inspired artistic elements, and I am only now putting this on GMIC. I encountered this information fortuitously while performing internet searches for Egyptian orders and medals. There is an example of this cabinet in the Victoria and Albert Museum (UK) and in the Metropolitan Museum of Art (USA). Both are exceptionally well-illustrated with very high-resolution images, as can be seen below. Additionally, I came across one drawing in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris that is attributed to Charles Percier, who is probably the designer of this medal cabinet. I thought this is a beautiful part of the history of military and commemorative medals, as well as the history of medal collecting, and a lot of good photographs are provided online. Since I first stumbled upon the information about this medal cabinet, the images and some of the textual descriptions have been picked up and re-posted to some additional photo sharing social media websites (i.e., Twitter, Reddit, etc.). 

 

 

All of the high-resolution photographs of the Victoria and Albert museum’s example of this medal cabinet are copyrighted by the by the Victoria and Albert Museum, London. This Napoleonic medal cabinet is in the Furniture and Woodwork Collection, its accession number is: W.8:1,2-2014, and the images and textual description can be found at: https://collections.vam.ac.uk/item/O1284580/medal-cabinet-martin-guillaume-biennais/. All of the photographs in this post can be enlarged for greater details of the design and construction details of this piece. This beautifully crafted medal cabinet was purchased by the Victoria and Albert Museum following a successful appeal to the public for funds to acquire this cabinet in July 2014 before it was exported (raising £534,000). The first photo above shows the front of the medal cabinet. A V&A article about the acquisition calls it “…perhaps the finest piece of French Empire furniture in Britain today.” The cabinet was probably made c. 1810, and was commissioned by Napoleon Bonaparte. As is well known, Napoleon used medals that commemorated the most noteworthy events in his career as an important propaganda tool. Over 2,000 medals were struck to celebrate his accomplishments. A possibly apocryphal story of an archaeological discovery of a medal of the Roman general Julius Caesar during his Egyptian campaign (1798) was considered an omen to him. Likewise, the alleged uncovering of coins of William the Conquerer during the construction of Napoleon’s tent at Ambleteuse in 1803, was used as a prognostication of Napoleon’s potential victory over Britain as he planned an invasion. 

 

 

The Victoria and Albert Museum catalogue information identifies this medal cabinet as an oak case veneered on the exterior with thuya burl (Teraclinis articulata). The interior is veneered in mahogany (likely Swietenia mahagoni, the species identified for the Metropolitan Museum example that is illustrated below). The drawers and runners are solid mahogany. A small line of ebony is inlaid around the upper margin of the cornice. The plinth is not original, but also is veneered in either amboyna (Pterocarpus indicus, or P. spp.) or thuya burl. The cabinet is decorated in 950 silver inlay. This includes several Ancient Egyptian-themed elements and engraved silver bands along all of the rounded molding on each side and the lower margin of the cornice. The front and back are inlaid with a central winged silver scarab element holding a sun’s disk in its forelegs, representing Kheper, the personification of the rising sun. The back legs are depicted piercing a sphere, a fantasy elaboration that is not a component of Ancient Egyptian design. On both the front and back, the Kheper element is flanked on each side by silver Uraei, cobras symbolic of royalty, wearing double ostrich feathered headdresses with sun symbols (the Amun crown), their bodies twined around a single lotus stalk. The cornice is decorated with vertical silver bands and each face has a silver winged solar disk flanked by double Uraei. These winged disks are identical on the front and back, and exhibit a slightly different design for each of the two shorter sides. The cabinet dimensions are: 88.2 cm high x 52.3 cm wide x 31.8 cm deep (all given excluding the non-original plinth). 

 

The form of the cornice of this cabinet is based on a temple pylon of the Apollonopolis Parva in the Coptite nome (now Qus) in Upper Egypt. An engraving of the field drawing by the French artist Dominique Vivant-Denon (1747-1825), one of the 167 savants who accompanied Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign and recorded Egyptian architecture and antiquities in 1798-1799, published this engraving of the Apollnopolis Pylon, along with many other architectural engravings, images of famous Ancient Egyptian monuments, and some engravings of people, in a popular travel book. This pylon is shown in both Plate 36 and Plate 80 in: Denon, Dominique Vivant, Baron, 1802. Voyages dans l basses et la haute Égypte, pendant les campagnes du géneral Bonaparte par Vivant Denon 2 Vols. (Atlas Title:) Planches du Voyages dans le Basse et la Huate Égypte. De l’Imprimerie de Didot l’aîné, Paris; see the final illustration in this post). The majority of the pylon in Denon’s sketch is buried in sand, but the upper flat face portion below the cornice shows figures suggestive of boastful royal achievements. Below the cornice, this medal cabinet is a fantasy adaptation of the popularity of Ancient Egyptian-themed art. Despite being an imagined ensemble, the decoration of this medal cabinet is elegantly executed without baroque over-elaboration. 

 

The cabinet’s design is attributed to the architect Charles Percier (1764-1838). See the illustration by Percier, shown as the second-to-last illustration of this post. The manufacturer of this cabinet was the French Imperial goldsmith Martin-Guillaume Bennais (1764-1843). The lockplate is inscribed with the manufacturer’s name: “Biennais, Orfre de L. L. M. M. Imples et Royles à Paris” (Biennais, goldsmith to their Imperial and Royal Majesties in Paris). The longer winged Uraei on the front and back of the cornice are stamped with 3 silver hallmarks (only two are visible in the close-up photo shown directly below). The oval Greek woman's head with a "P" mark for 1793, a diamond-shaped maker’s mark of Biennais are visible in the photos of the cabinet. The third hallmark should be the Paris standard, or title, hallmark for 1809-1819 (a form of the rooster hallmark with the number 1 in a horizontal octagonal frame, indicating 950 silver assayed in Paris, however no illustration showing this mark is provided, unless s it may be visible in the 13th image in this post, see the note below the next photo). Because of his inscription on the lockplate, it was clear that Biennais fabricated the silver mounts. Older suppositions about the cabinet maker of this piece favored the Parisian firm Desmalter et Cie. However, the current consensus, at least within the V&A, is that the cabinetry of the case as well as the silver mounts were all were probably fabricated in the Biennais workshop (note below that the Metropolitan Museum still identifies Desmalter’s workshop as the probably manufacturer of their example of this medal cabinet). Biennais supplied Napoleon and his family with silver items from at least 1798, and he manufactured the crown and scepter used for his 1804 coronation as Emperor in Paris and Milan. 

 

 

Close-up image of the right side of the cornice on the front of the medal cabinet showing the silver hallmarks on the right wingtip. The most medial oval mark is the Greek woman’s head mark for 1793 (almost certainly with the letter “P”). Apparently this mark, and others dating to the late 19th century, were common marks in the post-revolutionary period and employed in some contexts until at least 1830. The more lateral hallmark is that of Biennais, a “B” in a vertical diamond-shaped lozenge with a monkey above that, with two pellets (dots) to either side of the monkey. I do not see the location of the third hallmark (the standard hallmark for 1809-1819) noted in the museum’s description of this cabinet (unless it is shown in the 13th photo in this post, as a surface anomaly below the sun disk on the most central right-side feather, although that appears more rectangular than octagonal). These wing emblems represented vultures’ wings in Ancient Egyptian iconography. The wings reach out from the solar disk that is flanked by two 

Uraei, representing a symbol of royalty and of Ra, one of the sun gods of Egypt, from Heliopolis. 

 

 

On the right is an example of the Biennais maker’s mark, showing the B surmounted by a monkey and flanked by 2 pellets. The hallmark on the left is the Greek woman’s head with the letter "P" on the left of the bust in an oval, is a mark identified for 1793. Following the revolution, there was a breakdown in systematic guarantee marking of silver and gold. Although this Greek woman’s head mark (and a version with the same bust but with a number 1 to the right of the bust for the period 1794-1797) was instituted in Paris by the Association of Gold and Silversmiths (Association de Orfévres), the use of these punches were only privately done and did not offer any legal guarantee. Both of these hallmarks come from a teapot in the Royal Collection Trust. These hallmarks are from a cropped image of the underside of the lid of a silver, gilt, and ebony teapot made by Biennais c. 1809-1815, that is curated in the Royal Collection Trust, RCIN 48395 (https://www.rct.uk/collection/48395/teapot). These four images are copyrighted (Royal Collection Trust / © Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth II 2021), but can be used for non-commercial purposes. 

 

 

Above is a second example of the Biennais maker’s mark, showing the B surmounted by a monkey and flanked by 2 pellets. This image is cropped from a photo of the underside of the more proximal portion of the hinged lid of the same silver, gilt and ebony teapot made by Biennais and curated in the Royal Collection Trust. 

 

 

 

Above is the cock and numeral 1 (1er coq) on the right in an octagon that is the Paris assay office fineness mark for 950 silver. The horizontal octagonal frame probably indicates 1809-1819 hallmark (the standard, or title, mark, poinçon de titre). This photo is from the same teapot in the Royal Collection Trust. This detail of the assay mark is near the same more distal portion of the underside of the hinged lid with the Biennais and Greek woman’s head marks shown in the first hallmark image above (cropped from a larger photo showing all 3 hallmarks). The mass at the lower edge of the photo is part of the rivet holding the exterior ebony knob to the lid of the same teapot that held a tea caddy nested within itself, one of Biennais’ sets of traveling service ware, necessaires de voyages. 

 

 

Above is the third hallmark on the same part of the underside of the proximal hinged lid of the same Biennais-made teapot as the second example of the Biennais maker’s mark shown above (cropped from an image showing that Biennais mark, the Greek woman’s head with a "P", and this helmeted head mark). It shows a helmeted head in a circle that is probably the Paris medium object guarantee mark for silver 1809-1819 (poinçon de garantie). This mark is stated to also be present on both the Victoria and Albert and the Metropolitan Museum medal cabinets (however none of the photos show this mark on the V&A example, and only dark circles can be seen on each of the two different winged sundisk elements with paired Uraei illustrated for the Met example; ). 

 

 

The cabinet opens with a hidden lock that is exposed by inserting a thin rod into the eye of the left-hand Uraeus on the front. This opens the body of the Uraeus exposing the keyhole. This images also shows the most detailed view of the central scarab with the solar disk (Kheper).

 

 

 

Close up image of the lock mechanism cover latch opened by pressing the mechanism in the eye of the left-hand Uraeus. After being unlocked, the open portion of the cobra’s body serves as the pull to open the front panel. 

 

 

Close-up image of the lockplate with the inscription “Biennais, Orfre de L. L. M. M. Imples et Royles à Paris“. 

 

 

The entire front panel of the cabinet opened to reveal 41 trapezoidally-shaped, dovetailed medal storage drawers made of mahogany. The uppermost 21 drawers are 1.27 cm high and the lower 20 drawers are 1.905 cm high. The center of each drawer has a stylized silver winged insect to serve as a drawer pull. The Victoria and Albert Museum description suggest these may represent scarabs. However, their distinctly differently design compared with the central scarabs (Kheper) on the front and back panels underscores that these were probably intended to represent bees. These were an important symbol chosen by Napoleon possibly because of associations with immortality, resurrection (the latter both somewhat confounded with cicadas, that some scholars believe are represented in the archaeological representations that predate the use of the fleur-de-lys), industriousness, and benevolence, but also explicitly linking him to archaeological symbols associated with Merovingian kings. Napoleon did not specify the reason for his selection of bee imagery. Each bee has a hinged wing on the right side that serves as a drawer pull. 

 

 

Cropped detail of the 2nd photo below this one showing the form of the winged-insect drawer pulls. As noted, these are not similar to the depiction of the winged scarabs on each of the front and rear faces of the medal cabinet. See the 4th photo above this (first below the hallmark photos, showing the left-hand Uraeus and the central scarab and sun disk) in this post that can be enlarged to illustrate the contrast between these drawer pulls and the form of the scarab with vulture wings on the front and back panels. Although not anatomically accurate depictions of either scarabs or bees, the form of the pulls on the Victoria and Albert Museum cabinet’s drawers are quite different than those on the Metropolitan Museum example. The drawer pulls on the Met’s cabinet are designed to much more closely resemble Ancient Egyptian depictions of scarabs (see the cropped 3rd image in the set of photos below illustrating the Metropolitan Museum medal cabinet). Although images of scarabs in Ancient Egyptian often show them winged, the form of those wings resembles bird (vulture) wings rather than insect wings. It is possible these pulls were intended to look like scarabs. However, the difference from the image of the Kheper scarab on the front of this case and the importance of bee imagery to Napoleon, all suggest it is quite likely that these silver pulls were intended to depict bees. As noted below, the Metropolitan Museum example may have been constructed after this medal cabinet was likely made, possibly in February 1814. At that time, Napoleon had rejected the peace terms offered in the Frankfurt Proposal of November 1813 by the enlarged European coalition following his losses in Russia toward the end of 1812 and at the Battle of Leipzig in October 1813. Whether that may have influenced the re-design of the pulls to more closely resemble Ancient Egyptian scarabs rather than Napoleonic bees, is entirely speculation on my part. 

 

 

Detail of the front panel opened showing the central portion of the Uraei and sun disk and the bee drawer pulls. 

 

 

Detail of the drawer pulls showing one of the hinged right wings swiveled open to serve as the drawer pull. 

 

 

The inside of each draw has a numbered octagonal silver plaque (numbered from top to bottom). This photo shows drawer No. 36 open. 

 

 

Detailed view of drawers 29, 32, and 35 partially opened. 

 

 

Underside of the medal cabinet showing the plinth that apparently was a later addition to this cabinet (there is no discussion in the V&A text identifying why it is identified as not contemporaneous with the original construction of the cabinet nor how faithfully it may mimic the original plinth, not that the Metropolitan Museum example has a similar plinth).  piece. 

 

 

X-ray image of the lower right corner of the front of the medal cabinet (looking downward) showing the lowermost hinge on the front panel door and the silver mounting attached with nails and (modern?) screws to the rounded molding. The majority of the nails visible are those holding the later addition of the plinth. Apparently the drawers were removed to take this series of X-ray images. 

 

 

X-ray image of the upper roof of the cabinet interior, looking toward the cornice with the front panel door open on the right. 

 

 

X-ray image from a similar angle (looking upward into the interior roof of the cabinet) to the previous illustration bit with the front panel shut and both sides of the cabinet visible. 

 

 

X-ray image looking from the inside of the front panel door at the locking mechanism. 

 

Three references in Journal articles about this medal cabinet are identified in the Victoria and Albert Museum catalogue record. Two are articles about this cabinet in relation to the news of the V&A acquisition: Art Quarterly, Winter 2014, pg. 86; and  Meinertas, Leela, 2017. A Napoleonic Medal Cabinet. Luxury Vol 4, (issues 2 and 3), pp. 171-176. The scholarly article is: Griffiths, Antony, Spring 1991. The end of Napoleon’s ‘Histoire Métallique’, Part III. Medal, No. 18: 47-49. Additional references are given in footnotes to the description of the Metropolitan Museum example. 

 

 

Shown above is a moderately-high resolution photo of the other example of this medal cabinet design that is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art has several design variations from the Victoria and Albert Museum example (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/195473). This photo appears to be of the back face, the two Uraei on this side do not have the eyehole releases to expose the keyholes that allow the cabinet to be opened. All of the other photos of this cabinet show the front face of the cabinet. The MMA cabinet may have been made in approximately 1814, although the catalogue listing identifies its dates as c. 1809-1819 (bracketed by the Paris hallmark of 1809-1819 that is described as being present on the cabinet's silver fittings, although none of the photos of this piece show that hallmark). An account notation described by Antony Griffiths (1991, The end of Napoleon’s ‘Histoire Métallique’, Part III. Medal, No. 18: 47-49): "The most interesting record, however, is an account submitted in February 1814 by [the goldsmith] Biennais for 3,600 francs, for what is described as the 'médailler du Roi.'" In Biennaises account, Griffiths continues, this medal cabinet for the king is described as "in the form of an Egyptian pedestal, containing 44 mahogany drawers with silver mounts, and meant to serve as a stand for the emperor's old medal cabinet." The configuration of 44 drawers refers to the design of this example (if not to this specific medal cabinet), and not to the Victoria and Albert cabinet (or its general design) that has a total of 41 drawers. Griffiths feel that this bill from 1814 for 3,600 francs refers to the Metropolitan Museum example. Although the catalogue heading for this item calls it a “coin cabinet”, all of the descriptive material discusses it as a medal cabinet. The photos of the Metropolitan Museum medal cabinet included here, and data about it, are uncopyrighted and within the public domain. All but this first photo that  I have been able to download for this post are very high-resolution and provide excellent detail when enlarged. The above images is a moderately-high resolution that still provides good details when zoomed. 

 

 

Above is a high-resolution image of the front face of the Metropolitan Museum example of this Napoleonic medal cabinet. It shows the open eyeholes of each of the flanking Uraei and a different patter of dark coloration areas of the mahogany veneer. The wood under the silver bands of the lower portion of the cornice (the left door) do not show the discoloration seen on this architectural element in the first photo of the Met's medal cabinet shown above. 

 

The Metropolitan Museum information about the medal cabinet identifies the designer as Charles Percier. It also credits Baron Dominique Vivant Denon as the “decorator”, noting that the cabinet was based on an architectural drawings by Denon of the Pylon at Apollonopolis Parva in Upper Egypt. The catalogue information does state that the cabinet maker for this piece was the Parisian firm of François-Honoré-George Jacob Desmalter (1770-1841). The Victoria and Albert Museum’s suggests that Desmalter & Cie. was not the manufacturer of their example, identifying Martin-Guillaume Biennais as not only the maker of the applied and inlaid silver fittings but also a master tabletier who was a cabinet maker in addition to manufacturing other luxury goods. The Metropolitan only credits Biennais as the maker of the silver mounts. It does identify the period of his active career as c. 1796-1819. Unlike the burl of the Victoria and Albert examples, the Metropolitan Museum piece is made of mahogany (probably Swietenia mahagoni). The silver is identified in the item description as having a purity of “950/1000” (the cock with number 1 Paris assay mark indicates 950 silver), and is noted as distinctive compared with the more common decoration of many contemporary luxury pieces using gilded bronze. The dimensions are 35 ½ in high x 19 ¾ in wide x 14 ¾ in deep (90.2 cm x 50.2 cm x 37.5 cm). The piece was given to the museum in 1900, and its museum’s accession number is: 26.178.77. This version of the cabinet is identified as having originally been owned by Baron Dominique-Vivant Denon, who was at the time Napoleon’s Director General of Museums. There is some question whether it may have originally been designed for Napoleon (as the Biennais quote translated above from Griffiths 1991 article suggests). Both the Metropolitan Museum and the Victoria and Albert Museum note that Denon, Like Napoleon, was an enthusiastic medal collector. The Metropolitan descriptive text also notes that Denon’s estate listed over 3,000 contemporary medals at a posthumous sale (implying he may also have had an unspecified number of more ancient Classical medals). Following his role as a draftsman during Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign (1798-1999) and the 1802 publication of his popular book Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte, Denon was appointed by Napoleon to oversee the Monnaie des Médailles (Medals Mint), and as Director of the Musée Napoléon (later the Musée du Louvre). Denon also designed the ceremonial chain and badge of the Legion d’Honneur, that was manufactured by the Biennais atelier. 

 

 

High-resolution photo of the front of the Metropolitan Museum medal cabinet. The opening and drawer configuration of this cabinet are both different compared with the Victoria and Albert example. The same decorations of the front and back panels that employed the central scarab with the solar disk and the two Uraei wrapped around lotus stalks ornament the Metropolitan Museum medal cabinet. However, unlike the Victoria and Albert example, both Uraei on one face only each hold hidden keyholes in the cobras’ eyes that open doors on each side of the cabinet, not the single panel on which the Kheper and Uraei elements are present (as on the V&A cabinet). The Metropolitan Museum description of the cabinet states that a silver stick is provided, along with the keys to the cabinet, to insert into the eyes and open the cobra body over the keyhole. Both sides of the cabinet open, each side exposing 22 graduated drawers. Each side has 12 shallow drawers and 10 deeper drawers (no depth dimensions given).The Metropolitan Museum description also suggests that the silver pulls on each drawer are depictions of a “scarablike insect”. In this case, the form of the pulls is quite different than those on the Victoria and Albert Museum example that look less scaraboid. As shown in photographs on the V&A Museum example, each drawer is numbered with an octagonal silver plate at the front interior edge of each drawer. 

 

 

High-resolution image detailing of the face of the medal cabinet with the two keyed-Uraei and the cornice. This image shows that both Uraei have the eyesocket release to open the keyhole cover that is a portion of each cobra’s body and hood.  

 

 

High-resolution detail of the left side Uraeus wearing the solar disk with two ostrich feather plumes (the Amun headdress) showing the eye hollow for springing open the cover of the keyhole and the outline of opening door on the body and hood of the cobra. 

 

 

High-resolution photo showing the Biennais signature that is engraved above the keyholes (inside the Uraei bodies), rather than on the single lockplate as on the Victoria and Albert example (the 10th image in this post). The catalogue description does state that it reads “Biennais” in script above each keyhole and provides this high-resolution image of that signature and the left-side keyhole.  Unlike the Lockplate on the V&A medal cabinet, there is no inscription "Biennais, goldsmith to their Imperial and Royal Majesties in Paris". Would there be any relationship between this abbreviated signature, excluding the Emperor, and my suggested alteration of the Napoleonic bee form of the drawer pulls (as seen on the V&A medal cabinet) to the more Egyptian-looking scarab pulls on this cabinet? 

 

 

Very high-resolution cropped portion of the 5th image below this, showing the much more scarab-form of the drawer pulls. The design of the two forelegs, the two back legs, and the mouth parts of these are quite differently formed compared to the pulls on the Victoria and Albert example. (see the 12th photo in this post, shown above). They are a reasonably accurate interpretation of Ancient Egyptian scarabs in relation to those leg and mouth characteristics. As I noted in the discussion of the much less scarab-like form of the drawer pulls on the V&A Museum example, these pulls have been significant re-designed for this example of the medal cabinet. I wonder if Napoleon’s waning influence (if this Metropolitan Museum medal cabinet was indeed made in February 1814 as the identified invoice would suggest) is partly responsible for altering the Napoleonic bee motif to a more Egyptian  ornamentation for this example of the Charles Percier design of the medal cabinet. As noted above, compared with the V&A cabinet (at least one probably personally commissioned by Napoleon) the Biennais signature is starkly unassociated with royalty. Additionally, for this cabinet Biennais made the only significant change in the actual forms of silver inlay elements to  alter the ambiguous scarab/bee/cicada design of the drawer pulls. Detailed and stylized aspects of the Egyptian scarabs have been incorporated into the new form of these pulls. The other changes between the V&A are mostly just re-orientation of the sun disks cornice elements, different lock mechanisms, and the cabinet structural openings of the MMA cabinet. I looked through both a set of scrapbook images of sketches and designs by Percier in the collections of the Metropolitan Museum shown on their website and other sketches and designs by Percier on the Musée des Arts Décoratifs website to see if any drawings of the drawer pulls might exist that could clarify whether the initial design suggests scarabs or bees as the insect Percier intended these pulls to represent. None of those online collection images show any drawings of the original design of the drawer pulls, nor any images of scarabs or bees as decorative elements that I could use for comparison.

 

 

High-resolution photo detailing the form of the silver solar disk with Uraei and vulture’s wings on the front of the cabinet (the darker portions of the mahogany veneer match those seen on the front in the previous 2 photos, not the illustration of the back shown as the first photo of the Metropolitan Museum cabinet). This is the same face that has the two keyed-Uraei for opening the case. The form of the cobras bracketing the solar disk and the wings are not the same design as seen on the front of the Victoria and Albert example. This may be the design employed on the side of the V&A example that opens to reveal the 41 drawers, however, those photos do not illustrate details of the winged solar disk on that side of the V&A cabinet. When this image is enlarged, three hallmarks are visible at the far right of the right-hand vulture wing. The oval-shaped Greek head guarantee mark is the most medial, and the diamond-shaped maker’s mark of Biennais is the more lateral mark (both shown above as the 4th image in this post). Just distal of these two marks, and on the lower margin of the same feather, is an octagonal hallmark that must be the the standard, or title, mark, poinçon de titre, for 1809-1819 (shown in the 6th photo in this post). This photo is not as high resolution as that showing the hallmarks on the V&A cabinet, and cannot be compared with the form of those marks shown in the 3rd photo of this post (that can be zoomed for some details of those marks). On the left-hand wing, there is a dark circle in a similar location to the two hallmarks on the right wing. Although the details of the hallmark cannot be distinguished in this image, this is almost certainly the helmeted head in a circle that is probably the Paris medium object guarantee mark for silver 1809-1819 (poinçon de garantie), shown in a poor resolution image of the in the 7th photo in this post.. 

 

 

High-resolution image showing details of the winged solar disk on one of the sides that open to reveal the drawers of the cabinet. This is an image of the door on the left side of the cabinet (oriented to the front panel with the two keyed Uraei). The first image in this set illustrating the back panel Metropolitan Museum cabinet shows some discoloration of the wood around the silver bands of the rounded lower molding of the cornice that is not seen on this photo. The lack of this discoloration, and a slight flaw or nick in the wood of the rounded cornice molding just to the right of the two central vertical silver bands of the decoration match what is visible of the left side of the opened cabinet, especially in the in the detailed 3rd photo of this set of images of the Met example showing the two Uraei on the face and the opened panel door on the left. The form of the solar disk on this side face of the cornice is the same as that on the front face (the side with the Uraei and the Kheper scarab with the solar disk) of the Victoria and Albert Museum example (visible in all the high-resolution images of the front of the V&A cabinet, especially the detailed images that are the 4th and 8th photos in this post). The same three hallmarks can be seen at the far right of the right-hand vulture’s wing as described in the previous photogrpaph. The diamond-shaped maker’s mark of Biennais is the most medial and the oval Greek woman’s head (almost certainly with the letter "P") is the more lateral mark. More distal to those 2 marks, on the same feather element, is an octagonal mark, that barely shows the form of the cock (1er coq), that must be hallmark representing the Paris standard, or title, mark for 1809-1819 (the octagonal frame is oriented horizontally). The form of this hallmark is shown in the 6th photo in this post. On the left hand wing, again a dark circle is all that can be distinguished of the the helmeted head in a circle, the Paris medium object guarantee mark for silver 1809-1819 (poinçon de garantie). The Metropolitan Museum’s catalogue description identifies the hallmarks as: “Struck on one wing of each winged disk: [1] B surmounted by a crouching monkey, pellet each side, with lozenge (Maker’s mark of Biennais); [2] cock and numeral 1 in octagon (Paris mark for 1st standard silver 1809-19); [3] helmeted head in circle (Paris medium excise mark for silver 1809-19); struck on the other wing of each winged disk: [4} classical head, letter P in oval (standard mark, 1793-94).” My amateurish research on the hallmarks indicates the cock and numeral 1 is an assay purity mark for 950 silver. 

 

 

High-resolution photo of the front of the medal cabinet with the left door opened and the lowermost 6 drawers partly opened. Each open drawer shows the swiveled right wings of the silver insects opened to serve as the drawer pulls. 

 

 

High-resolution photo illustrating details of the one drawer slightly opened showing the swiveled right wing of one silver insect (scarab) drawer pull. Also note the different latch mechanism of this example, at the right of the open drawer (a round post rather than a tongue), compared with the V&A medal cabinet. 

 

 

High-resolution image showing details of the drawer pulls and the lock mechanism at the right. There is no engraving visible on the lockplate in this photo or the previous one showing a portion of the lockplate. 

 

There are several additional references cited in the nine footnotes of the initial catalog description (https://www.metmuseum.org/art/collection/search/195473). This may have been written by Wolfrom Koeppe in 2006. Most of the references are in French, and include other writings by Baron Dominique Vivant Denon. Some may provide relevant supplementary information about this cabinet .  

 

 

Above is an undated (except to the early portion of the 19th century) drawing of the medal cabinet from the Musée des Arts Décoratifs in Paris, inventory number: CD 3240 (http://collections.madparis.fr/medaillier-0). The drawing is attributed to Charles Percier. The page of this drawing measures 21.4 cm high x 17 cm wide, and is pen (black ink) and watercolor. The design shows the use of a burl wood as the planned veneer for this medal cabinet. This drawing is mentioned in the Victoria and Albert Museum description of the medal cabinet and in the Metropolitan Museum listing. This photo is copyrighted by the Musée des Arts Décoratifs (©Photo Les Arts Décoratifs, Paris Tous droits réservés). 

 

 

Above is Denon’s engraving of the Pylon at Apollonopolis Parva, Plate 36 (it also is shown as Plate 80 in the atlas accompanying his text) from Denon’s 1802 publication: Voyages dans la basses et la haute Égypte, pendant les campagnes du géneral Bonaparte par Vivant Denon (from: https://upload.wikimedia.org/wikipedia/commons/5/5d/Denon1802bd3_0039.jpg). As noted, the small amount visible of this pylon was the inspiration for the design of part of this medal cabinet. The winged sun disk and Uraei, the vertical lines as background to the sun disk, as well as the form of bands on the round molding were directly used by Charles Percier in designing the cornice in his plan of the medal cabinet. This image can be enlarged for greater detail of the pylon cornice.  

Edited October 31, 2021 by Rusty Greaves

[Graf]

Thank you for listing this outstanding item

[VtwinVince]

Holy crap, I wouldn't mind that thing for my coin collection.

[Rusty Greaves]

Here is the information from the original Sotheby's listing for the amboyna veneered cabinet that the Victoria & Albert Museum purchased. This is the listing from a 3 July, 2013 auction in London ("Treasures, Princely Taste"), Lot 42 (https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/treasures-princely-taste-l13303/lot.42.html). I am including the extensive description for anyone interested here on GMIC, as it covers cabinetry information; historical information; biographies of the original owner Frederick John Monson, 5th Baron Monson, the second recorded owner of this cabinet Augustus John Debonnaire Monson, the cabinet maker François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, the designer Charles Percier, and the goldsmith Martin Guillaume Biennais; as well as additional references; that are all beyond my familiarity (quite a bit longer than the "Napoleon / Empress Josephine sledge sold on auction - more information" contribution from Marcon1 in his post of 3 January, 2022 here in the France section). This description reiterates that the V&A and MMA cabinets are the only known examples of this medal cabinet design by Percier. Of interest are a few notes about the cabinet that the drawer pulls are thought to resemble bees, as I suspected, referencing Napoleon's use of them symbolically. As can be seen in the photo and description, another base was present when Sotheby's offered this rare cabinet, and obviously the Victoria and Albert Museum's staff determined it to be a later addition, and the base was subsequently removed. The description discusses some design differences between the Sotheby's example and mahogany-veneered example in the Metropolitan Museum of Art's version. One difference between these examples I did not previously note is the slight variation in the design of the uppermost portion of the paired vulture wings on the winged solar disk on the front of the cabinet (and possibly the rear?, however, no images of that face are provided in the V&A images), which the text in the Sotheby's listing calls: "an unusual almost Ionic capital above the disc" (see the 7th-to-last photo in my original post of showing that design on the MMA example, compared with the 8th and 13th photos in my original post showing this element on the V&A cabinet). I do not know the source of the text from the Sotheby's listing, it references 5 figures, although only a single photo is present in this archived listing.

 

 

High-resolution image from the Sotheby's 3 July, 2013 (Lot 42) auction listing of this cabinet that was eventually purchased by the Victoria & Albert Museum. The pattern on the amboyna veneer (the V&A Museum identifies the veneer as thuya burl [Teraclinis articulata] and only identifies the base as amboyna [Pterocarpus indicus, or P. spp.]) matches exactly that seen on the V&A example (compare with the 1st and 2nd photos in my original post, and other detailed views of the front of the cabinet). The flared lower base and legs have been removed from the piece following the purchase by the V&A as they were determined to be a later addition to the cabinet. This image can be zoomed for comparative details. 

 

Orignal Text from the Sotheby's listing: 

"A silver-mounted and inlayed amboyna and mahogany medal cabinet, by François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841), after a design by Charles Percier (1764-1838), he silver mounts by the firm of Martin Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843), probably following instructions from Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825), Empire, circa 1810. 

 

Description

silver, ebony, mahogany

 

Of pylon form with a rectangular ebony banded top above a concave frieze inlaid with a band of silver stripes surmounted by a winged disc and two uraei, the sacred cobra symbol of ancient Egyptian kings, the two longer wings with Biennais maker’s mark (B with a monkey in a diamond surround), together with a standard mark for 1793, the two side wings with the same maker's mark and the `petite garantie’ for 1809-19, above a panelled door, the front and back panels inlaid with a scarab between uraei on lotus stalks, the eye of one uraeus, when pressed flips open to reveal a keyhole, the door opening to reveal the lockplate signed Biennais, Orfrede LL. M.M.. Imples et Royles à Paris, and forty-one graduated drawers each mounted with a silver scarab-like insect probably a bee, the wing of which lifts to open the drawer, each with a silver numbered plaque No 1-41, the back decorated and mounted as the front, the base of the frieze and four corners applied with a projecting curved border inlaid with silver horizontal and diagonal bands above a concave apron on bracket fee.

 

Provenance

Probably commissioned by Napoleon I (1769 –1821) or Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825); 

Probably acquired by Frederick John Monson, 5th Lord Monson (1809-1841), for Gatton Park, Surrey, in around 1830, where it probably stood in the Library;

Thence by descent to Augustus John Debonnaire Monson, 9th Lord Monson (1868-1914), at Burton Hall, Lincolnshire, see fig.1;

Thence by descent at Burton Hall, Lincolnshire, where it probably stood in the Library, see fig. 2 and after 1958 at South Carlton, Lincolnshire.

 

Catalogue Note

Comparative Literature:
Michael Beurdeley, Georges Jacob (1739-1814) et son Temps, Saint-Rémy-en-l'Eau, 2002, pp. 152-157;

Clare Eames, `The Emperor's Cabinet’, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin,1958-1959, pp. 108-112;

Serge Grandjean, Empire Furniture, 1800-1825, London, 1966, ill. 13b;

Anthony Griffiths,` The End of Napoleon’s Histoire Métallique’, Medal, no. 18 (Spring 1991), pp. 35-39;

Danielle O. Kisluk-Grosheide, Wolfram Koeppe, William Rieder, European Furniture in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, Highlights of the Collection, New Haven and London, 2006, No. 92, pp. 218-221;

Jean-Marcel-Humbert, L'Egyptomanie dans l'art occidental, Paris, 1989, p.129;

Jean-Marcel-Humbert, Michael Pantazzi, Christiane Ziegler, Egyptomania L'Egypte dans l'art occidental 1730-1930, Paris, Musée du Louvre, 20th January-18th April 1994, pp. 206-207;

Ulrich Leben, ed., Bernard Molitor, 1755-1833, Exhibition Catalogue at Villa Auban, Villa de Luxembourg, 7th October -10th December 1995, p. 125;

Hector Lefuel, François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter, ébéniste de Napoléon I eret de Louis XVIII, Paris, 1925. 

Preston Remington, The Metropolitan Museum of Art Bulletin, Vol. 22, no. 4 (Apr. 1927), pp. 122-126.;

Henry Thorold, Lincolnshire Houses, Norwich, 1999, p. 38;

Richard A. Todd, Napoleon’s Medals Victory to the Arts, Stroud, 2009;

 

This magnificent and extremely rare medal cabinet represents the zenith of the`goût d’Egypte’ style in France in the early years of the 19th century and is exceptional in terms of both its conception and execution. It is veneered in the most beautifully figured amboyna wood mounted and inlaid with exceptional quality silver mounts and by the most outstanding ébéniste Jacob-Desmalter and goldsmith Martin Guillaume Biennais of the Empire period. 

 

The `goût d’Egypte’ style was promulgated by the architect Baron Dominique Vivant-Denon (1747- 1825), who had accompanied Napoleon on his Egyptian campaign in around 1798-99. Following on from that in 1802, Denon published his celebrated album,`Voyage dans la Basse et haute Egypte pendant les campagnes du Général Bonaparte’, comprising sketches of battle scenes and architectural details which enjoyed great success all over Europe of which there were several foreign editions; two published in London in 1802, two in Germany in 1803 and one in Florence 1808. The Egyptian themes were borrowed and adapted by some of the leading French cabinet-makers of the era and this cabinet epitomises the taste for adapting ancient Egyptian forms and utilising decorative motifs inspired by ancient Egypt. The pylon (gateway) at the Apollonopolis Parva (now Ghoos) in Upper Egypt, which was depicted by Denon in Plate 80, of his 1802 Album, was obviously the model for the upper section of  this cabinet, reproduced here in fig. 3.

 

The Monson cabinet reflects Jacob-Desmalter's exceptional ébénisterie,`characterised by superb quality, classical severity and functional perfection...'.  It is a superlative representation of his innovative furniture and virtuosity as an ébéniste with the employment of the choicest veneers embellished with superb quality silver mounts by Napoleon’s leading silversmith Martin Guillaume Biennais (1764-1843), and according to Grandjean, op. cit., p. 86, `Amboyna and satinwood were not much in demand (during the Empire period) because their prices were high' which reinforces the rarity of this cabinet. The silver marks are from between 1809-1819, next to Biennais’s mark for 1793-94, and even though the cabinet is early 19th century it was usual for Biennais to use earlier marks and to reuse them on other silver. Regarding the silver mark for 1793-1794, this was an unofficial mark. After the abolition of their guild at the time of the Revolution, goldsmiths were no longer permitted to use the mark that for centuries had testified that their metal was to the prescribed standard. As an act of self-protection, they introduced a new unofficial mark of quality of their own.

 

This cabinet was obviously inspired by the design by Charles Percier (1764-1838), dated to the first quarter of the 19th century, which is now in the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, Cabinet des Arts graphiques, Paris (CD 3240), illustrated by Kisluk-Grosheide, op. cit., p. 220, fig. 126, reproduced here in fig. 4. It is interesting to note that the drawing clearly shows a medal cabinet in a wood with a very tight swirling pattern-possibly amboyna, which reinforces the fact that the offered cabinet very closely follows the original design by Percier. 

 

The differences between this cabinet and the only other known example which is in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, reproduced here in fig. 5, (see post) are in both materials and form as follows: this cabinet is veneered in amboyna whereas the Metropolitan’s is in mahogany and the design by Percier appears to incorporate burrwood rather than mahogany as previously stated. The drawers of this cabinet are much shallower whereas the Metropolitan’s has graduated but deeper drawers with silver mounts of a larger size in the form of scarabs or bees on the drawer fronts. This cabinet opens on the front only and not both sides, and has 41 drawers, whereas the Metropolitan cabinet has 22 drawers on each side making a total of 44 in total and the drawer construction differs. There is a large brass plate behind the lockplate on the reverse of the door of the Monson cabinet which is not present on the Metropolitan cabinet. This cabinet has the silver bands below the front frieze centred by an `x' which is not present on the Metropolitan cabinet and the latter also has an unusual almost Ionic capital above the disc which is missing on this cabinet which does not appear on the Percier design. Furthermore, this cabinet terminates in bracket feet rather than a platform base and is much less flared in outline than the Metropolitan one. Finally, the internal lockplate on the door of the Monson cabinet is signed `Biennais, Orfre de LL. M.M.. Imples et Royles à Paris’ , which the Metropolitan's is not although on the latter above each keyhole Biennais’s name is engraved and there are also slight variations of the engravings on the metalwork of both in particular the bees on the Metropolitan's cabinet.

 

The Monson cabinet in view of its decorative style and execution has very strong associations with both Napoleon and Denon: as stated previously the use of the most expensive wood-amboyna-fit for an Emperor and the handles on the internal drawers are in the form of scarab-like insects or bees a symbol of Napoleon. This kind of model of scarabs/bees was used by Biennais when he was involved in mounting this type of medal cabinet, such as the ones made in 1800 for Eugène de Beauharnais (Napoleon’s stepson) and Marie-Louise, his wife in 1812. Also according to family tradition the key of the offered cabinet had N for Napoleon on it, was lost in around 1958, when the furniture was moved from Burton Hall to South Carlton and was reputed to have been given by Napoleon to his Empress Marie-Louise. It is worthwhile noting there are no initials on the Metropolitan cabinet key. What is also interesting is that unlike the Metropolitan’s plain lockplate on the inside of the door, the one on this cabinet is rather obviously engraved with Biennais’s name and advertises the fact that he is the Emperor’s goldsmith. Furthermore, although it has not been possible to date to identify the offered cabinet in the accounts of Biennais, that is not to say that it was not also made for Napoleon on Denon’s instructions. 

 

Napoleon was passionate about medals and it is conceivable that several medal cabinets would have been commissioned either directly by him or via Denon’s instructions to Jacob-Desmalter and Biennais. In the late 1790’s, during his Egyptian campaign, Napoleon came upon a medal of the Roman general Julius Caesar and later on he discovered coins of William the Conqueror and Napoleon imbued these with great significance. Napoleon commissioned hundreds of medals during the course of his reign to mark significant achievements such as treaties and to glorify his conquests. The medals were not only works of art but propaganda according to Todd, op. cit. One of the most interesting groups were the series of Napoleonic medallions that relate to the acquisition of Italian works of art by the French Armies. On 16th August 1803, Napoleon visited the Louvre where he saw the renowned Venus de Medici and received from Vivant Denon, then Director General of Museums, a medal depicting the ancient masterpiece. However, it was of the Egyptian campaign that Napoleon stated  `the time I spent in Egypt (was)….the most beautiful of my life’. His campaign included scholarly research taking a team of 167 scholars. He founded in Cairo the Egyptian Institute which resulted in his Description de l’Egypte published in ten folio volumes on which those scholars worked for twenty years. According to Todd, op. cit., `The real legacy of Napoleon’s Egyptian campaign was the birth of the discipline of Egyptology’. Three Egyptian medals were eventually produced commemorating-the Conquest of Upper Egypt (1806) the Conquest of Egypt (1808) and the Conquest of Lower Egypt (1810).

 

Anthony Griffiths op. cit., states regarding the Metropolitan cabinet, `The most interesting record, however, is an account submitted in February 1814 by ( the goldsmith) Biennais for 3600 francs, for what is described as the `médailler du Roi'. In Biennais's account, Griffiths continues, this medal cabinet for the Emperor is described as being `in the form of an Egyptian pedestal, containing 44 mahogany drawers with silver mounts and meant to serve as a stand for the emperor's medal cabinet'. As the Metropolitan's cabinet has two sets of 22 drawers this is quite compelling, although definitive evidence that the Metropolitan cabinet was made for Napoleon has not been found to date. Although what is puzzling is that perhaps this entry refers to another cabinet as clearly the Metropolitan Museum and Monson cabinet were intended to be stand alone medal cabinets in their own right and not merely pedestals to serve as a stand for a medal cabinet.  

 

The history of the very similar cabinet in the Metropolitan Museum of Art, New York, (inv.26.168.77) is unclear, as to whether Denon himself commissioned it or purchased it, however, what is known is that it was recorded in the sale upon the death of Baron Dominique Vivant Denon (1747-1825) in 1826 and listed as `Un médaillier en acajou; forme de naos monolithe égyptien. Ce médaillier est garni, de chaque côté, de 22 tiroirs masque par une porte recouvrante; ses trois faces sont richement décores d’emblèmes égyptiens, incrustés en argent. Socle en marble veiné’. The marble socle is obviously now missing. As stated in the catalogue entry for the Metropolitan's cabinet by Jacob-Desmalter after a Percier design and with silver mounts by the firm of Biennais, which is dated 1809-19, the enmity between Denon and Percier would seem to indicate that it was not a commission by Denon but a later purchase, and that he was not the first owner of the cabinet. As Jean Marcel Humbert observed regarding the Metropolitan cabinet which can be made in relation to the offered one op. cit., `The originality and variety of its decoration make this piece an excellent illustration of the taste for things Egyptian at the beginning of the nineteenth century. At the same time it is the very essence of Egyptomania; the adaptation of antique forms and decorations, in dimensions as well as materials, to a type of object and function completely different from those associated with these symbols in Antiquity’. 

 

Dominique Vivant, Baron Denon (1747-1825) more than any other figure during the Napoleonic era, was almost the sole arbiter of the artistic taste of the Age and even influenced Emperor Napoleon in that regard. Denon began his career in the household of Madame de Pompadour eventually filling diplomatic posts in St. Petersburg, Stockholm and Naples. He was ambassador to Naples from 1779 to 1785 and was responsible for the design of the Legion of Honour made by the firm of Biennais, which Napoleon bestowed upon those he favoured in his immediate circle. He supervised everything made in the workshops of the court artists and craftsmen. In 1802, he became the Director-in Chief of the Musée Napoléon and master of the Mint where he was also responsible for the striking of medals. He had a passion for medals and upon his death his inventory listed three thousand contemporary medals alone. 

 

In the Musée des Arts Décoratifs, there are five hand coloured designs for furniture including drawings that Percier executed for Biennais, one depicts a rectangular bedside table, the other a medal-cabinet ordered by Vivant Denon. The latter was an antiquarian and fascinated by the exotic art forms of Egypt.  His drawings were both records of the past and as patterns for future designer’s according to Clare Eames, p. 109, op. cit., `It was perhaps the most influential factor in the popularity of Egyptian decoration…’

 

Jacob-Desmalter was asked to make for Denon for his own private use a set of mahogany furniture based on the latter's drawings, including a bed in classical taste with three sides decorated in silver to be placed against a wall, a pair of armchairs, a medal cabinet with twenty-two drawers which is probably the one now in the Metropolitan Museum (see ante). The aforementioned furniture is listed in a catalogue drawn up the day after Denon's death by L.J. Dubois, Description des objets d'art qui composent le cabinet de feu M .le Baron Vivant Denon, Paris, 1826, pages 189-190, nos. 832, 833, and the names of Denon and Jacob-Desmalter were cited as the authors of these pieces. According to Grandjean, op. cit., p. 34`..one must write the name of Denon high on the list of originators of the Egyptian mode, and insist that his influence on the furniture of Napoleon’s era was of considerable importance’. 

 

It is interesting to note that in John Bernard Burke's, `A Visitation of the Seats and Arms of the Noblemen and Gentlemen of Great Britain', London 1853, vol. II, p. 226. (published by Hurst and Blakett, Great Marlborough Street), referring to his visit to Gatton Park, Surrey, purchased by the 5th Lord Monson in 1830, there is the following extract:

 

“The library is entirely fitted up with ebony and ivory. The sofas, tables, and chairs, all of ebony, richly carved, came from Amsterdam; the chimney-piece of Rosso Antreo, with its clocks and candelabra of bronze, was a gift from Napoleon to Eugene Beauharnais on his marriage, and a small escritoire, with some curious contrivances appertaining, belonged also to the Emperor, and was used by him in his campaigns.”

 

This would seem to confirm that already in 1853 and probably even earlier, perhaps upon the purchase of Gatton Park, in 1830, or during Lord Monson's extensive travels in the 1820's and 1830's, gifts from Napoleon and an item reputedly belonging to him, namely an escritoire that was used by Napoleon in his campaigns, were in the 5th Lord Monson's collection. This also assists in dating the probable acquisition of the medal cabinet by the 5th Lord Monson to around 1830 and further confirms the family's strong connections with Napoleonica.

 

Furthermore, the medal cabinet in the Metropolitan Museum (bequest of Collis P. Huntington in 1900) was possibly acquired in the second half of the 19th century. However, no provenance for the Metropolitan cabinet is recorded prior to that. The Huntington collection is well known and the Huntington Museum has an outstanding collection of French 18th century art formed by Henry Huntington (1850-1927), the nephew and business associate of Collis P. Huntington (1821-1900), the railroad magnate.
 

In conclusion therefore, with regards to the Monson cabinet, in the absence of documentary evidence to date, this extremely rare and sumptuous cabinet of exceptional quality was either  a commission on behalf of Emperor Napoleon either for his own use or for a member of the Imperial family or for Baron Denon for his own personal use to contain some of his vast collection of medals. It is certainly conceivable that in view of Napoleon’s profound interest in medals that this is the only other outstanding example of a medal cabinet in the `goût d’Egypte’ style, apart from the Metropolitan example, which has resurfaced after nearly two hundred years. 

 

Frederick John Monson, 5th Baron Monson (1809-1841) and Gatton Park, Surrey:
He is well recorded as a collector and travelled extensively in Europe in the 1820's and 1830's and purchased Gatton Park in  Surrey in 1830.  Sir George Colebrooke (1729-1809), had acquired Gatton from his brother Sir James Colebrooke (1722-1761), a prominent London banker and Member of Parliament for Gatton. In 1762, Sir George, who was Member of Parliament for Arundel and chairman of the East India Company, embarked on a series of improvements to the estate, commissioning Lancelot ‘Capability’ Brown to remodel the park. Brown spent nearly six years working at Gatton, taking the unusual step of actually supervising the gardening in hand, and transformed whatever formal gardens had existed before into sweeping Arcadian parkland.

 

Gatton passed through a number of hands in the following years and in 1830 was sold for £100,000 by Sir Mark Wood, 2ndBt. (1794-1837) to Frederick John Monson, 5th Lord Monson. Monson redeveloped the house, commissioning Thomas Hopper, who designed a magnificent marble hall based on the Corsini Chapel in Church of St. John Lateran, in Rome, and Joseph Severn for frescoes of the Classical Virtues. Brown’s park remained largely intact however, and the estate remained in the Monson family until 1888, and after his death his widow, Theodosia, Dowager Lady Monson, lived on there. The property was eventually sold by the 7th Lord Monson in 1888 and the contents moved to Burton Hall. When it was sold by the 5th Baron’s grandson, William Monson, 1st Viscount Oxenbridge, to Sir Jeremiah Colman, a prominent Norwich based food manufacturer and financier whose fortune was founded on the famous Colman’s Mustard.  

 

Augustus John Debonnaire Monson, 9th Lord Monson (1868-1914):
He was attaché at the embassy in Paris from 1897-1900, when his uncle Sir Edmund Monson was the Ambassador. Augustus was a great friend of Lord Rosebery who encouraged his interest in Napoleon memorabilia, the latter having an entire room dedicated to Napoleonica at Mentmore and Lord Rosebery was the author the book, `Napoleon, The Last Phase’ in 1901. When Augustus married, which he did on 1st July 1903 at the British Embassy, he took as a wife Romaine Stone, daughter of General Roy Stone, USA army and widow of Lawrence Turnure of New York. Their son was born in 1907 and was christened John Rosebery Monson. 

 

François-Honoré-Georges Jacob-Desmalter (1770-1841):
He was the favourite cabinet-maker of Napoleon and belonged to a dynasty of leading cabinet-makers. Amongst Jacob-Desmalter's first commissions, was the decoration and furnishing of the town house of Napoleon and his wife Josephine in the rue Chantereine and the surviving furniture illustrates the patriotic and symbolic tastes which were so characteristic of the Directoire period heralding the Empire style. His next major commission was for the Récamiers, important and influential French bankers. At about the same time the firm was commissioned to decorate and furnish Malmaison, by Percier and Fontaine, which was the country retreat of Josephine, where furniture in the` goût d’Egypte’ style still remains today. The firm also provided furniture for Bonaparte's apartments at the Tuileries and also exhibited at the second and third public exhibitions at the `Products of French Industry' held in 1801 and 1802 in the courtyard of the Louvre and Jacob-Desmalter received a Gold Medal at the 1802 exhibition. It was during the Empire period that his reputation was established and his talent fully recognised, as it is recorded that in 1807, the firm employed 350 workmen. His work according to Grandjean, op. cit., `is esteemed not only on account of its stylistic homogeneity but because of its consistent high quality'.

 

Charles Percier (1764-1838):
Charles Percier and his partner Pierre-François–Léonard Fontaine (1762-1853), the most celebrated architects and decorators during the Empire period, were largely responsible for creating the Empire style and are synonymous with creating the furniture and decoration heavy with symbolism for Napoleon. They had been in Rome from 1785 to 1790, where they had followed David's teaching, and they were fully familiar with Ancient Greek and Roman art, which was a major inspiration for their decoration and furnishing. Percier and Fontaine, published their Receuil des decorations intérieurs, (1801, reissued in 1812) and they used motifs such as giant N’s in laurel wreaths, eagles and bees to make the style fully Napoleonic. Both were fully employed by Napoleon as both architects and interior decorators on various palaces such as Malmaison, Tuileries, Louvre, St. Cloud and Versailles. They transformed Napoleon's palaces into lavish showcases for the produce of French art and industry. Percier was also a partner of Jacob-Desmalter and they worked very closely together.

 

Martin Guillaume Biennais (1764-1853):
He was born in Lacochèe near Argentan on 29th Aril 1764. The Duc de Luynes in his Rapport sur l’industrie des métaux précieux à l’Exposition of 1851 stated` Bonaparte having become Emperor, ordered from him large amounts of furniture, tabletterie, and nécessaires, not only for himself but for all of his relatives…’ Jérôme Bonaparte purchased from him in 1800 a nécessaire de voyage when he was based at the Singe violet 238 rue Saint-Honoré. The imperial insignia used by Napoleon were made by Biennais and at the Exposition Industrielle of 1806, Biennais won a Gold Medal for the objects he exhibited. In 1806, he was appointed goldsmith to the Emperor.  After Biennais’s death in 1843, it was written` When Bonaparte came back from Egypt he didn’t have any other fortune except glory and traders did not want to sell to him on credit. Biennais was the only one to accept this and he became Napoleon’s official goldsmith when he became Emperor.’ 

 

Napoleon’s appreciation for the credit given, was demonstrated when he returned to Paris in an increasing number of commissions for Biennais making silver, furniture and jewellery as well as chessboards and travelling cases, much of it ordered by Napoleon for his own use or for gift. At the same period Denon was becoming Napoleon’s cultural mentor advising him in all matters of taste. Biennais’s trade card read `Orfévre de S.M.l’Empereur et Roi' and another trade card lists the objects he made and interestingly it includes `ébénisterie’ (cabinet-work)."

 

The above is verbatim, with minor grammatical corrections, from the Sotheby's 3 July 2021 catalog listing (https://www.sothebys.com/en/auctions/ecatalogue/2013/treasures-princely-taste-l13303/lot.42.html).

 

 

Edited January 8, 2022 by Rusty Greaves

[Graf]

Super

[Rusty Greaves]

Below is a Napoleonic medal case that is slightly later than the two above examples but is still roughly contemporaneous with those Egyptian style cabinets. The images and description come from a current auction (Item Reference: LU981416623322; SKU Reference: f_16623322S) on 1st Dibs (https://www.1stdibs.com/furniture/more-furniture-collectibles/collectibles-curiosities/historical-memorabilia/rare-french-early-19th-century-napoleonic-medal-cabinet/id-f_16623322/). This is probably an auction through Viebahn Fine Arts (reference no. 2010; https://www.viebahnfinearts.com/en/objekte/details/2010_Napoleonic-Medal-Cabinet.html). The Victoria and Albert medal cabinet probably dates to c. 1810 and the Metropolitan Museum of Art example was probably made in 1814. The cabinet being offered by 1st Dibs is identified as dating to c. 1828, based on the association with the publication date of the associated booklet describing the different medal examples in this case that is titled: Collection de Médailles des Campagnes, et du Régne de L’Empereur Napoleon: Depuis sa Premiére Campagne d’Italie, en 1796 Jusqu’a son Abdication en 1815. La Notice est rédigée d’apres le manuscrits de M, Denon par R. de B. Chez Ch. Bigi, Éditeur de Cette Collection, rue Vivienne, No 2., Paris. This booklet is based on one or more documents written by Dominique Vivant-Denon. As noted in my post of 30 October, 2021, Dominique Vivant-Denon (1747-1825) was a French artist who was one of the 167 savants who accompanied Napoleon’s Egyptian Campaign and recorded Egyptian architecture and antiquities in 1798-1799. The engraving of Denon's field drawing of the temple pylon of the Apollonopolis Parva in the Coptite nome (now Qus) in Upper Egypt (shown as both Plate 36 and Plate 80 in: Denon, Dominique Vivant, Baron, 1802. Voyages dans l basses et la haute Égypte, pendant les campagnes du géneral Bonaparte par Vivant Denon 2 Vols. (Atlas Title:) Planches du Voyages dans le Basse et la Huate Égypte. De l’Imprimerie de Didot l’aîné, Paris; and shown as the final illustration in my post of 30 October on this thread) is the basis for the design of the two Napoleonic medal cabinets shown from the V&A Museum and the MMA. Following the 1802 publication of his popular book Voyage dans la Basse et la Haute Égypte, Denon was appointed by Napoleon to oversee the Monnaie des Médailles (Medals Mint), and as Director of the Musée Napoléon (later the Musée du Louvre). It is almost certainly in his capacity with the appointment to the Medals Mint that Denon created the manuscript(s) on which the publication associated with this cabinet of examples of the designs of various Napoleonic medals is based. The cabinet itself is probably wood, covered on the exterior with colored paper. The four feet of the cabinet are gold. The 184 medals in this case are bronzed plaster examples of those medals issued during the reign of Napoleon (from the first Italian campaign in 1796 though his abdication in 1815). The illustrations show that the margins of each bronzed plaster medal are wrapped in paper (or cloth?). Each medal is described in the associated booklet. The case measures 16 cm high x 51.5 cm wide x 29.5 cm deep. 

 

 

Napoleonic medal cabinet with bronzed plaster exemplars of 184 medals issued during the reign of Napoleon. The 1828 booklet describing the bronzed plaster medals is seen to the left of the cabinet. The illustrations here can be zoomed for a bit more detail, but the original images on the 1st Dibs auction listing (and the Viebahn listing) are higher resolution than what I could download. 

 

 

Detailed view of the medals shown in the inside lid of this medal case. These bronzed plaster medals are shown in greater detailed on the 1st Dibs and Viebahn Fine Arts listings than what I can download here. 

 

 

Exterior of the closed case showing the keyed opening device, the colored paper covering, and the gold feet of the cabinet

 

 

Title page of the accompanying guidebook describing each of the bronzed plaster medals, based on manuscripts written by Dominique Vivant-Denon, appointed by Napoleon to oversee the Monnaie des Médailles (Medals Mint). 

 

 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Rusty Greaves

[Rusty Greaves]

Attached is a photo of the Victoria and Albert Museum's example of the Napoleonic medal cabinet graphically showing its size. Although I have previously given its dimensions (88.2 cm high x 52.3 cm wide x 31.8 cm deep, all measurements excluding the non-original plinth), this image very clearly presents the large size of this cabinet.

 

 

 

This image comes from the V&A Blog of 17 July, 2014. By Brodie Lyon (https://www.vam.ac.uk/blog/news/medal-cabinet-appeal-elizabeth-bisley-assistant-curator). The photo shows Elizabeth (Lizzie) Bisley, Assistant Curator in Furniture, Textiles, and Fashion at the time. She had been working on the appeals to save the medal cabinet from export and keep it in Britain, here seen shortly after the cabinet was put in its initial case in the Victoria and Albert Museum. Ms. Bisley also was involved in research on the cabinet's design, construction, history, and as an example of the influence of the Napoleonic Egyptian campaign on popularizing Egyptian art elements in the Egyptian revival throughout Europe. The cabinet is currently on display in the recently renovated Europe 1600-1815 Galleries that opened in 2015 (Level 1, Room 1). Ms. Bisley is now the Curator of Modern Art at The Museum of New Zealand, Te Papa Tongarewa. 

Edited April 27, 2022 by Rusty Greaves