A lock of hair belonging to Napoleon Bonaparte, the French Emperor was auctioned in New Zealand recently and made £8,600. It was cut from his head after his death in 1821 and had been kept by the family of the British officer who took it, when he was stationed in St Helena during Napoleon’s imprisonment on the island, which took place between 1815 and 1821.
He had other significant items as well, which were also auctioned at the same sale and they had all reportedly been kept by the family in a suitcase after being taken to New Zealand in 1864. These items included the officer, Denzil Ibbetson’s, diary which had accounts of conversations he had with Napoleon. The conversations included Napoleon talking of his plans to invade Britain even though he was defeated in 1815 at Waterloo. The diary was well written and very detailed and so contains very enlightening information about the time spent on the island providing accurate historical data. There was also an image of him on his deathbed as depicted by the officer who was an accomplished artist. It was a lithograph and watercolour piece and was the item that sold for the most money. The collection contained 40 items in total and raised almost $100,000 at the auction which took place at the Art+Object auction house.
The head of the auction house explained that this is a unique collection of important historical items about a great European figure from history. The items, some of which were sold to an unnamed London collector, will provide important historical data and provide information about Napoleons later years which has not before been known. It should enable historians to rethink Napoleons imprisonment on the island and have a greater understanding in to his frame of mind at the time.