Empire Period

The Market

To meet market demand, we decided in 2020 to organize biannual sales dedicated to the Empire Era, which has offered us remarkably high-quality pieces in terms of painting, ornamentation, and architecture. The first sale entirely dedicated to this prosperous period of French history marked by Napoleon Bonaparte yielded excellent results. A rare presentation snuffbox bearing the Emperor Napoleon I’s insignia achieved the highest bid at 48,100 euros. Collectors of this historical period are well-known to the Aguttes house. Beyond objects or representations of the era, they primarily seek testimonials, everyday items, or historical memorabilia.

The Great Names of the Empire Era

On May 5, 1821, Napoleon I died on the island of Saint Helena after six long years of exile. Two hundred years later, France celebrated the anniversary of his death with exhibitions, commemorations, and events with international repercussions. This bicentennial provided us the opportunity to sell memorabilia related to Napoleon and his reign.

These dispersions allow our specialist, Grégoire de Thoury, who is in charge of these thematic sales, to gather valuable and rare historical memorabilia, drawings, paintings, war souvenirs, clothing, relics, sculptures, art objects, silverware, jewelry, tableware, and handwritten letters. He also leverages the expertise of departments such as Rare Books, Old Master Paintings & Drawings, and Militaria.

Collection Sales

Aguttes can handle the dispersal of a particular collection in which all items and works relate to the Empire. It offers sellers tailored communication in the spirit of the collector. The support for these collection sales is entirely personalized. The teams then choose the best dispersal strategy, which may involve various types of auctions or online sales. The collection can be integrated into sales of specialized departments in a dedicated section, for instance. Most often, and depending on its importance, the collection is presented in a dedicated catalog with a specifically designed visual identity. The geographical setting of the sale is determined based on relevance. Sales can take place at the Aguttes auction house in Neuilly-sur-Seine or any other location in France or abroad.

Good to Know: Our Furniture, Sculpture & Art Objects department organizes two auctions per year in Paris dedicated to the Empire era.

Free and Confidential Appraisals of Your Empire Era Items

Our specialist is available to appraise your items, providing professional expertise and advice on sales or investment. Discover our auctions calendar and offices.

Achieving World Records with International Buyers

With its strong communication capabilities and international buyers, Aguttes regularly achieves world records. The house offers a unique communication strength and provides sellers with modern and targeted tools for effective international dissemination. We pay special attention to the production of the auction catalog, both in its design and content, whether in paper or fully digital format. We mobilize buyers from our portfolio across all specialties and identified potential buyers during our campaigns. We communicate with them using multiple channels: online and offline advertisements, social networks, emailings, media, influencers, auction platforms with quality and adapted supports; image, text, and video.