N
is for
is for
Napoleon
Vintage Bronze Souvenirs of Paris Aside a
Vintage Avon Bee Skep Cologne Bottle
It's no secret that Paris has long been my favorite
destination, and over the years I've collected
my fair share of Napoleonic memorabilia.
my fair share of Napoleonic memorabilia.
Kathryn Crisp Greeley's,
THE COLLECTED TABLETOP,
advocates using one's collections to set a special table.
I decided to do just that when I selected
Napoleonic Memorabilia
as my topic for a CAMEO meeting
at my home several years ago.
Those of you who follow HFTS might remember the post I shared here about CAMEO, a small antique club of which I'm a member.
CAMEO
Collecting Antiques and Memorabilia
and Educating Ourselves
The structure of our small group is such that each member is responsible for presenting or arranging a presentation on a topic of interest to share with the group at one of our monthly meetings.
Collecting Napoleonic Memorabilia
simply happened over time for me.
Napoleon's famous N and bee motif
show up in many things and always catch my eye.
The pottery pieces you see in the photos
are mostly French faience produced in the
last part of the 19th century or the first half of the 20th century.
Small Bust of Napoleon, CA
Dinner Plate, HenRiot Quimper
Vintage Letter Openers Atop 1900 Edition of L'Aiglon,
A Play In Six Acts Based On The Life Of Napoleon's Son
Performed At The Knickerbocker Theatre
New York, October 1900
Petite French Faience Vase, CA
Napoleonic Bee Vintage Silk Fragment, c1880
Napoleon and Josephine
Sweet Little Souvenirs
Chateau de Fontainebleau, 2011
Chateau de Fontainebleau, 2011
Serving a light brunch, I used the opportunity to follow Karhryn Greeley's advice: "Mixing antique collections with contemporary tabletop pieces adds drama and the unexpected." With my collection as the central focus of my tables, I could easily pull select pieces to share with the group as I presented my topic.
Vintage Tiara ~ A Gift From My CAMEO Friends
If you enjoy historical fiction and the subject is of interest, I highly recommend reading Sandra Gulland's trilogy about Josephine. It's a new look at this fascinating character of French history.
I reviewed each book in the links below.
~ Napoleons ~
Layers of Mille-Feuille and Vanilla Cream
Topped with Fondant
Perhaps this post will inspire you to begin a memorabilia
collection of your own on a theme that interests you.
When you host your next dinner party, gather up a collection
to use as a theme. I found it fun to see my pieces grouped
together, and your collection will no doubt spark conversation.
Joining
.png)
.JPG)
.jpg)
