Hatsy-Tatsy!

One of the world’s most iconic objects is Napoleon’s hat, which is, strictly speaking, called a bicorne à la française, the bicorne referring to the right and left wings in the design. It was, in part, made that way so the Emperor’s troops could easily spot him during the fog of war. Each hat cost him F60 (2025 - £166) and, in the fifteen years before his 1815 exile, he was supplied with as many as 120 of them, in varying weights and fabric to suit the weather and season. Each hat was expected to have a lifespan of three years (depending on the number of smoke-filled battles) and, at any one moment, some twelve bicornes could be found in the Imperial wardrobe. Despite the large number of them, only thirteen with a reliable provenance survive and now one’s coming up for auction. Grab your cheque book and read on.