207 - TRAVEL BIDET BY BIENNAIS, PROBABLY USED BY BONAPARTE, FIRST CONSUL

TRAVEL BIDET BY BIENNAIS, PROBABLY USED BY BONAPARTE, FIRST CONSUL A rectangular travel bidet made of mahogany veneer with brass inlays, resting on four tapered, fluted legs; the hinged lid features a cutout, centered with a brass escutcheon engraved with the initial “B” for Bonaparte; the interior is lined with green leather, and the silver-plated metal lining is engraved with the signature “Biennais au Singe Violet, 121 Rue St. Honoré, Paris.” With its key. Brass fittings loose; minor chips in the plating. Consulate period, circa 1800. Attributed to Georges Jacob; the lining by Martin-Guillaume Biennais (1764–1843). H. 39 x W. 46 x D. 23 cm. Related works - A mahogany and gilded brass bidet, by Georges Jacob and Martin-Guillaume Biennais, Consulate period, circa 1800, from the Pierre-Jean Chalençon collection, sold at Sotheby’s Paris, “Napoleon: A Historic Collection,” June 25, 2026, lot 59 (sold for €30,480) (ill. 1). - A campaign bidet from the reign of Napoleon I, made between 1809 and 1814 by Biennais, is housed at the Château de Fontainebleau, Napoleon I Museum (ill. 2). History First appearing in France in the early 18th century, the bidet is a piece of furniture for personal hygiene invented by Parisian cabinetmakers for the aristocracy. Its name comes from the old word “bidet,” meaning a small horse, in reference to the straddling position adopted when using it. Quickly adopted by the elite, it became a symbol of personal refinement. In Diderot and d’Alembert’s *Encyclopédie*, it is defined as “a small piece of bedroom furniture, shaped like a seat, on which one straddles for personal hygiene.” Several valuable examples are preserved in national collections, such as a bidet made of walnut, violetwood, and gilded bronze, crafted by BVRB II and delivered in 1741 to Louis XV at the Château de Bellevue, now housed at the Palace of Versailles. Napoleon I, who was particularly attentive to his comfort, never traveled without a portable bidet. Several bidets made for the Emperor have been found, including one crafted by Jacob-Desmalter in 1810 for Napoleon’s bathroom at the Grand Trianon. A second one, delivered between 1809 and 1814 by Martin-Guillaume Biennais and now housed at the Château de Fontainebleau, is identical to ours in its decoration and was used by Napoleon during his campaigns (ill. 2). Biennais, who described himself as a merchant specializing in tabletop items—a cabinetmaker and fan maker—collaborated with several renowned artisans of the Empire, such as the cabinetmakers Moreau and Georges Jacob, and architects like Percier and Fontaine. The quality of the object, its decoration, and the monogrammed letter “B” on the lid suggest that this piece was likely made for Bonaparte when he was First Consul.