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Lot Essay
General Sebastiani, an avid collector of furniture and brother-in-law of Augustin Joseph Casimir, 3rd duc de Coigny, was a distinguished General and favourite of Napoleon. Following the Peace of Amiens, he embarked upon a series of complex diplomatic missions for Napoleon to Constantinople, Northern Africa, Egypt and Syria in the hope that of inspiring the sovereigns of those countries with a more favourable idea of France than they then entertained, thus removing the ill impressions which England were endeavouring to produce. The details of his proceedings were published in the Moniteur.
Sebastiani's loyalties were handsomely rewarded by the Emperor and he is known to have owned seat-furniture by the Imperial °ournisseurs du Garde-Meuble Jacob D. rue Meslée (such as the chair sold from the Fink Collection, Christie's Australia, 30 April 2002, lot 112). These suites of seat-furniture may conceivably therefore have been a gift from the Emperor.
Sebastiani's loyalties were handsomely rewarded by the Emperor and he is known to have owned seat-furniture by the Imperial °ournisseurs du Garde-Meuble Jacob D. rue Meslée (such as the chair sold from the Fink Collection, Christie's Australia, 30 April 2002, lot 112). These suites of seat-furniture may conceivably therefore have been a gift from the Emperor.