234 - RARE TRAVEL KIT BY DOMINIQUE-JEAN LARREY, CHIEF SURGEON OF THE GRANDE ARMÉE

RARE TRAVEL KIT BY DOMINIQUE-JEAN LARREY, CHIEF SURGEON OF THE GRANDE ARMÉE A mahogany-veneered travel kit, rectangular in shape with rounded corners; the hinged lid opens via a lock system inlaid in the center of a gilded brass escutcheon engraved with the interlaced “DL” monogram for (Jean) Dominique Larrey (1766–1842). The interior has three compartments containing various utensils, including a mirror, files, razors, scissors, toothbrushes, a boot jack, a salt bottle made of cut crystal mounted in silver (800 parts per thousand), two silver boxes of 2nd title (800 parts per thousand) with a chased laurel leaf design, vermeil interior, etc. With its key. Minor losses; some elements have been restored. First Empire period, attributed to Pierre-Dominique Maire (1763–1827). Blades by the Préel firm in Le Mans. Paris, 1819–1838, for the silver (hallmarks featuring the head of Raphael and the head of a hare). H. 6 x W. 9.5 x D. 21 cm. Weight of silver: 49.3 g. History A Baron of the Empire, Dominique-Jean Larrey (1766–1842), chief surgeon of the Grande Armée, is considered a pioneer of emergency medicine. Present during all of Napoleon’s campaigns, from Egypt to Waterloo—where he was wounded—he was particularly noted for his legendary medical aid and devotion during the retreat from Russia in 1812; the praise for him never ceases, as evidenced by Wellington’s words on the battlefield: “I salute the honor that passes by,” and to Emperor Napoleon himself: “What a man, what a brave and worthy man Larrey is! How much care he lavished on the Egyptian army—whether during the crossing of the desert, after the Battle of Saint Jean d’Acre, or finally in Europe! If the army erects a monument in gratitude, it must dedicate it to Larrey... It is largely to Larrey that humanity owes the fortunate revolution that surgery has undergone... He is the most virtuous man I have ever met. He has left in my mind the image of a truly good man.” Related Work Auguste de Chambure, *Napoleon and His Contemporaries*, presented to Jean-Dominique Larrey in 1824, bound in red morocco leather with the identical initials “DL,” formerly in the Émile Brouwet collection, auction of November 16, 1934, lot 92.