Napoleon III Stamp Box In Silver

Silver metal stamp box from the Napoleon III period with the effigy of Vercingétorix. It has 3 compartments and a spring-mounted lid. The base is surrounded by a beaded frieze supported by 4 small ball feet, the front face of the lid is scalloped and is decorated in its center with a bust of armored and helmeted Vercingetorix surrounded by a laurel wreath. Napoleon III was the first to highlight the figure of the famous Gallic leader at a time of strong rise in nationalism in Europe by organizing the first excavations of prestigious Gallic sites such as Bibracte and the site of the Battle of Alésia. At this time many objects took the figure of the famous warrior in their iconography. This box was part of the catalog of an exhibition at the Clermont-Ferrand museum in 2017 on Vercingétorix and the propaganda of the time. Comes from a private collection.