A rare cloak clasp in the shape of two bees acquired from the apartment of Napoleon Bonaparte after his death on St Helena is set to get collectors buzzing.
The buckle, offered in Hansons’ Derby August Medals, Militaria & Firearms Auction in Etwall on 13th August, is estimated at £3,000–£5,000.
It comes from the family of a member of the 66th Berkshire Regiment of Foot, who were stationed on the remote island, 2,000 km off the coast of West Africa, and whose sole purpose was to guard the imprisoned French emperor during his internment.
Hansons Auctioneers’ militaria expert, Matt Crowson, said: “The owner’s family folklore has it that the soldier went into Napoleon’s apartment after his death and acquired the piece as a souvenir. Indeed, the cut leather straps on the back of each clasp suggest they may have been cut off a garment with a knife or bayonet.”
The decorative motif of a bee was adopted as the personal emblem of Napoleon, who died in exile aged 51, at the height of his power. Representing longevity, perseverance, and diligence, he used the winged insect to replace the Bourbon dynasty’s fleur-de-lys and distance himself from the ancien régime.
His coronation robe, made of red velvet and ermine, featured dozens of bees made from gilt wire, and the emblem appeared on countless imperial items ranging from porcelain to snuff boxes and even wallpaper.
Museum piece
A similar clasp framed by two bees, taken from Napoleon’s discarded cloak during the Battle of Waterloo and allegedly given to the Duke of Wellington, can be seen at Levens Hall in the Lake District.
Last year Hansons Auctioneers sold the collection of Captain Frederick Lewis Maitland on whose ship, the HMS Bellerophon, Napoleon surrendered after his defeat at Waterloo. Highlights included a gangway timber turned into a commemorative table and the ship’s couch used by Napoleon during his surrender.
Clothing worn by the French emperor, especially items linked to specific historic events or his time on St Helena, command a premium. One of his iconic grey woollen overcoats (known as a “redingote”) and worn on his Russia campaign, fetched £1.6m at auction in France in 2012, while one of his bicorne hats sold for a world record £1.69m in 2023. Sotheby’s sold one of his white linen shirts reportedly worn in exile on St Helena for £45,000 in 2015.
Island life
Accounts from members of the 66th Berkshire Regiment and others, including Napoleon’s second valet, Louis-Étienne Saint-Denis, describe Napoleon’s dress on St Helena.
He wrote: “He never wore anything but silk stockings having a crown in the corner, and gold buckles on his shoes; these were round and ornamented with little roses. The knee buckles were also bold with little designs and were somewhat longer than broad. He always wore a muslin cravat and a collar of black silk folded, which was buckled behind by a square, narrow gold buckle.”
Napoleon brought around 50 boxes of his belongings to St Helena, including items like Sevres porcelain, a gold, silver and woodrn nightstand, his dressing gown, underwear, and slippers.
The buckle for sale, which measures 5.9cm by 4cm, features two cast gilt metal bees, and despite them being stylistically a pair, there are minor differences between the two. One half has the usual hook, with the other having the eye to join the two halves together. The back panel has an original handmade screw, which serves to hold the fixing clasp in place, and a small leather strap. The underlying base metal is unknown, but the patination may suggest copper or silver.
Matt Crowson said: “It is such a rare piece and we hope to attract global institutions and collectors from around the world.”
Auction Details
Auction: Derby August Medals, Militaria & Firearms Auction
Auction date: 24th July 2025 | 9:30am
Location: Hansons Derbyshire Saleroom
Auction contact: [email protected]
Catalogue/bidding: www.hansonslive.co.uk | www.the-saleroom.com
