232 - EXCEPTIONAL KEY FEATURING THE CROSS OF THE LEGION OF HONOR AND THE IMPERIAL EAGLE

EXCEPTIONAL KEY FEATURING THE CROSS OF THE LEGION OF HONOR AND THE IMPERIAL EAGLE A wrought-iron key, engraved and chiseled; the key head is chiseled in the shape of a ribboned laurel wreath, the shaft and bit forming a motif of an imperial eagle perched on a barrel and surmounted by a stylized cross of the Order of the Legion of Honor on the barrel. The key fits into a circular decorative lock plate that perfectly mirrors the design of the bolt. Presented in a case lined with black percaline, rectangular in shape with a domed lid; the interior is lined with crimson velvet (the lid is detached). France, late 19th century. Attributed to the Forestier workshop. Bears an inventory number “655 009” on the base. H. 13.5 x D. 7 cm. Provenance Leopoldo Conforti Collection (1926–2024), a leading figure in the safe industry. Related Works Key said to be from the lock of Emperor Napoleon I’s tomb at Les Invalides, made by Forestier in 1873 (ill. 1). History When Napoleon’s body was exhumed on Saint Helena on October 15, 1840, his coffins were placed inside a new ebony casing equipped with a lock-and-key closure system. The keys to this lock were officially handed over on October 15, 1840, to Count Philippe de Rohan-Chabot, the French commissioner in charge of the operation, by Captain Alexander, who was responsible for military and civil engineering on Saint Helena. An incident nearly jeopardized the ceremony: the lock initially refused to function properly, despite tests conducted during the voyage. Upon the coffin’s arrival in France, the keys became a true symbol of the guardianship of the imperial remains. After the state funeral on December 15, 1840, they were handed over by Marshal Soult, Minister of War, to Marshal Moncey, governor of Les Invalides. This handover marked the official transfer of responsibility for the tomb. Since the creation of the Army Museum in 1905, the museum’s director has served as their custodian, bearing the title “Guardian of the Emperor’s Tomb.” The Army Museum thus preserves a sealed morocco leather box bearing the inscription “KEYS TO THE SARCOPHAGUS OF EMPEROR NAPOLEON / 1840” (ill. 2). Since this case was sealed with ribbons and a wax seal, it had never been opened to examine its contents. In July 2020, an X-ray revealed five keys, two of which had heads adorned with the letter “N” for Napoleon. The large sarcophagus visible today beneath the Dome of Les Invalides, made of red Finnish quartzite, was constructed according to Visconti’s plans, and the remains were permanently interred there on April 2, 1861 (ill. 3). The keys from 1840 correspond to the inner ebony coffin, not to the monumental stone sarcophagus visible to visitors. In 1873, the Forestier company, a former supplier to Emperor Napoleon III, was commissioned to manufacture a key and a lock for Napoleon I’s tomb at Les Invalides, though likely for an access door. The keyway and the profile of the lock’s pin shaft form a cross of the Legion of Honor, surmounting the “N” for Napoleon. Unfortunately, we have been unable to find any historical images of this key other than the contemporary reproduction provided by the company, which is still in business (Fig. 1), but its similarity to ours allows us to attribute it to the same manufacturer. However, their exact purpose remains unknown to this day, to the best of our knowledge. Hippolyte Forestier was a precision locksmith based in Valines, in the Somme department, along with his older brother Ferdinand. Their company, Forestier Frères, was founded before 1836 and specialized in fine, luxury, and precision locksmithing. Around 1850, it diversified into the manufacture of safes.