ORNAMENT THAT BELONGED - Lot 181

ORNAMENT THAT BELONGED THE COUNTESS ALBINE DE MONTHOLON (1779-1848) GIFTED ACCORDING TO FAMILY TRADITION BY EMPEROR NAPOLEON I THEN IN CAPTIVITY AT SAINTE-HÉLÈNE. Composed of a yellow gold tiara, necklace and wedding band bracelet, decorated with floral and foliage motifs set with turquoise cabochons enhanced by a surround of small pearls. The set is preserved in its antique posterior case, inside ivory silk and red velvet decorated on the lid with the initials M.L.C. (initials of the Countess de Masin, direct descendant of the Count and Countess de Montholon). French work from the early 19th century. Title hallmark: ram's head on rush bracelet Goldsmith's hallmark: unidentified (A & L or A & E with hand face) Total gross weight: 76.06 grs. Bracelet: 13 grs - 50 x 57 mm (inside dimensions) Tiara (with elements to be reattached): 39.51 grs - L: 39.5 cm approx. Necklace: 23.55 grs L: 40 cm including clasp Damage, missing parts, as is, some loose parts to be reattached History: The Comtesse de Montholon came from a small noble family belonging to the good society of Montpellier, allied to the Cambacérès family, of whom she was the first cousin of Jean-Jacques-Régis de Cambacérès. On February 19, 1797, Albine Vassal married Baron Jean-Pierre Bignon (1771-1841), from whom she divorced in 1799, marrying Baron Daniel Roger (1788-1849). In 1808, she met Charles-Tristan de Montholon (1783-1853): it was love at first sight. She left the marital home to live with Montholon. They had three sons, the youngest of whom became Napoleon III's ambassador to Emperor Maximilian I during the French intervention in Mexico in 1867. Baron Roger applied for legal separation on April 26, 1809, then obtained a divorce on May 26, 1812. Two months later, on July 2, 1812, Albine married the comte de Montholon. In 1815, after the fall of Napoleon, she followed her husband to accompany Emperor Napoleon I on his exile to St. Helena. This sovereign, once the most powerful in Europe, was now a lonely man, exiled on a thankless island, at the mercy of an odious, suspicious and narrow-minded jailer. His entourage is not a court, but "companions of chance", voluntarily exiled to serve him, confined to a restricted space, spying on each other and watching out for his favors. The fascination remains, but personal interests tarnish the faithful fervor the Emperor expects from his entourage. Among the companions in exile were the Count and Countess de Montholon. What was their motivation in deciding to follow the Emperor? Was it really to serve him? Was Napoleon's solitude softened by the presence of Albine de Montholon? Intrigue, lies and boredom make the writings of witnesses suspect, and the answer to this question, in particular, must be formulated with delicacy. As the Emperor's confidante on his walks and tête-à-tête, as a reader who could rouse him from his melancholy, as a musician who hummed Italian tunes for him, Albine was, on St. Helena, the woman in the shadow of the man who had ruled an enormous empire and who, in exile, was not even entitled to the affection of his family. She would become his mistress. It was during this period that the comtesse de Montholon's daughters were born, the first named Napoléone Marie Hélène Charlotte, on June 18, 1816, in honor of the Emperor, and the second named Joséphine, who may have been Napoléon's daughter - a fact disputed by some historians. When Napoleon learned of her affair with Lieutenant-Colonel Basil Jackson, he had her sent back to France in July 1819, implying that her attachment to the Countess de Montholon was real. Provenance: this historic piece has been preserved since by direct descent from his daughter Napoléone de Montholon-Semonville (1816-1907) vicomtesse du Couëdic de Kergoualer, then via the countess de Masin to the present owners. Expert : Cyrille BOULAY