Fabulous antique French commemorative snuff box, compost material with a metal portrait disc of Napoleon and Marie-Louise, his 2nd wife, whom he married after Josephine and in order to produce a child and heir. The couple married on April 1, 1810, when he was 40 and she was 18. The marriage failed as Napoleon did, having produced a baby boy, "King of Rome", whom Marie Louise summarily dumped off at grandmother's Vienna Palace, Shönbrunn. The child grew up sickly and lonely and died of consumption at age 21. But I digress, and the marriage was a hopeful happy moment for Napoleon, and this would have been among many types of commemorative souvenirs of the pairing. Full measurements noted on the photos.
Very good to excellent for age and type, over 200 years old and a composite material, it shows some age and the inherent roughness of the material, but has no breaks. The metal plaque is covered by a rather deep convex cover glass, keeping that gold appearance bright and without oxidation. A great collectible for anyone interested in French history, in Napoleon's life.
