THE PRINCE OF JOINVILLE Box commemorating the exhumation of Emperor Napoleon I on St Helena in 1840 In walnut, entirely veneered with ebony, richly decorated with inlays of brass, copper, mother-of-pearl and pewter, decorated with peacocks, rocaille motifs, birds, Napoleonic eagles and the stylized figure "FO" under a princely crown. Brass pump lock with key. Compass hinges. Opened, it is sheathed in shaped mauve velvet and contains three relics: - A piece of wood from Emperor Napoleon I's coffin on St Helena. - A stone from the Emperor Napoleon I's vault on St Helena. - A fragment of cement from the coffin of Emperor Napoleon I on Saint Helena. H. 17 cm - W. 25 cm - D. 19 cm B.E. Return of the Ashes period (1840) Provenance : - According to the archives of the Napoleonic Museum in Monaco, this superb casket came from the Prince de Joinville, son of King Louis-Philippe, who led the Return of the Ashes expedition, which is confirmed by the figure on the lid; - Former Napoleonic collection of the Prince's Palace of Monaco (2nd sale, lot 200) A box commemorating the exhumation of Emperor Napoleon I on St Helena in 1840, bearing the prince de Joinville's cipher Historical background: In 1840, the Belle Poule was commissioned by the Prince of Joinville, Louis-Philippe's third son. On 12 May of the same year, the King entrusted him with a singular mission: to go to Saint Helena to bring back Napoleon's coffin. Accompanied by the Emperor's last loyal followers, General Bertrand, General Gourgaud, the valet de chambre Marchand and Emmanuel, son of Las Cases, Joinville carried out his mission perfectly and Napoleon's body left his land of exile on 16 October 1840 before arriving in Cherbourg harbour on 30 November.