Wednesday, May 4, 2011

Unusual Artifacts: The Burnous of Napoleon I

Burnous
Felt, Silver Thread, Silk
French, 1798
The Royal Collection
Napoleon I was not without his little affectations and he had a bit of a tendency toward theatrical dress. During his campaigns in Egypt, Napoleon I admired the North-African-style cloak known as the burnous and commissioned one to be made in his size. Napoleon was often seen wearing the flame-red cloak with its dramatic hood and embroidery.


The burnous was taken from Napoleon I’s carriage at the Battle of Waterloo and presented to King George IV as a symbol of victory. Since that time, this garment has been neatly preserved in the Royal Collection.

2 comments:

Anonymous said...

Pretty cool, looks like something you might find on a Paris runway!

Joseph Crisalli said...

It does! When you're an emperor, one day you're in and the next day you're out.