80 - [Josephine, Empress of the French].

[Josephine, Empress of the French]. A beautiful period case in red morocco leather, decorated with gilded ornamentation, for a Map of European Russia (missing from the case), bearing the letter “J” surrounded by a laurel wreath and surmounted by an imperial crown, which can be attributed to Empress Josephine. With the map sheet numbers in gold lettering on the top. Dimensions: 24 x 16.5 x 8.5 cm. A few dark spots. This die is not precisely identified by O.H.R. (2653 or 2661). The “J” surmounted by an imperial crown may also be attributed to Joseph and Jérôme Bonaparte. The style of the “J” more closely resembles die no. 2 from plate 2653 for Joséphine and other objects from her personal collections and from Malmaison, but no other comparative evidence allows us to definitively rule in its favor.