Lot 857 Dα

Associated with military victories since antiquity and also the symbol of the god Jupiter, the eagle with a bundle of lightning in its claws was the emblem of ancient Rome. Napoleon later chose it as the emblem of his First Empire. The original sculpture upon which this work is based was designed in 1804 by the sculptor Antoine-Denis Chaudet (1763-1810) and executed in gilt bronze by the famous bronze founder Thomire. A solemn ceremony in which flags decorated with these eagles were distributed on the Champ-de-Mars, where the new emperor swore in his army, took place just a few days after his coronation.
In order to reduce the weight of the sculpture, which was considered too heavy, the manufacturers redesigned the eagle in 1811, creating a hollow version made from two metal plates welded together. At the end of the Empire, they were largely melted down or broken so as not to be returned. During the Hundred Days period between Napoleon I's return from the island of Elba and his second abdication four days after the Battle of Waterloo, lasting from 20th March to 8th July 1815, a more modest version was produced in gilded wood. It is highly likely that this example dates from that period. The bow and the ring were almost certainly added later, in order to alter the attributes. Nevertheless, it is astonishing that the object survived the collapse of the empire almost intact.