COPPERWARE. Officer's belt plate for the Imperial Navy or Guards sailors in gilded and chased cast brass with sandblasted background, the central eagle was carefully hammered out during the Hundred Days, as were the crown, the 6 flags, the laurel and oak branches preserved, the central rod was roughly reconstituted to complete the anchor, brushed back with 2-barbed trigger guard and flat hook. Size 48 x 66 mm. 1st Empire-Restauration period. TBE

Composed of several subsidiaries, the Drouot Group is a major player in the art market. Hôtel Drouot, located in the heart of Paris, has been the world's largest public auction center since 1852. 15 salerooms are available to more than 70 auction houses. The emulation generated by an annual offer of 230,000 artworks from 21 major specialities - from Antiquity to street art - attracts some 3,000 visitors every day. The Group's digital platform, Drouot.com, offers digital sales - Live auctions (live broadcasting and participation in auctions), Online-only auctions (dematerialised auctions) and Buy Now sales (sales of lots at fixed prices). Nearly 2 million items are offered annually by 600 auction houses. Auction news is reported every week in La Gazette Drouot, the leading weekly magazine for the art market and culture published by Auctionspress.