Once one of the few household items the exiled Napoleon was permitted to carry with him to Elba, the island that was briefly his home following his forced abdication, this Marly Rouge dessert set was an unwitting witness to many of the most turbulent events in European history. Unsurprisingly, then, it proved the star turn at the recent auction of the Rockefeller Collection by Christie’s New York.
Originally commissioned by Napoleon for his Palace in northern France, this exquisite dessertware was ultimately delivered to Fontainebleau Palace, just outside Paris, in October 1809, at a time when Napoleon was negotiating the grueling nitty-gritty of the Treaty of Vienna that led to the end of hostilities between Austria and France.
It is also during this time that Napoleon announced his divorce to Empress Josephine for being unable to bear him an heir. Despite or maybe due to its association with Josephine, the Service Marly Rouge found its way into Napoleon’s household in exile at Elba five years later.
Today, only one gilt-dolphin-footed compote and six plates from the original 256-piece set remain at Fontainebleau, with the rest divided among a number of international collectors. As a result, this 22-piece selection – acquired by Abby Rockefeller – provides the best glimpse of the true glory of the collection when it was first set before an emperor.