A French burr walnut Gentleman's dressing case, circa 1810, ...

Hammer

£460

A French burr walnut Gentleman's dressing case, circa 1810, of oval form with four fitted lift out trays lined in red paper, the hinged lid inset with brass shield presentation engraved 'Souvenir A. Mr Robert Wolfe' and mirror to inside, containing an assortment of dressing items including period silver topped dressing table pots, ivory handled wares, toothbrush, scissors, shaving blades and brush, boot pulls, a monogrammed wax seal, eye bath, funnel and nail buffer, case 26 by 16.5 by 8.5cm high, together with a letter citing a Bonaparte connection, 'This dressing case was presented to Robert Cope Wolfe by Marshal Mortier Due de Treviso, when passing through Paris with his father, the RtHo Rob.t Barber Wolfe on his return to England after nearly ten years spent as a detenee for Bonaparte. Mr Wolfe was introduced by his friend, Mous.r Klay elle Baron de Bourdouchamp to Marshal Mortier on the occasion of Bonaparte passing through Givet on his from the Netherlands with Duchess Marie Louise and he kindly himself on this behalf obtaining for him an interview with Bonaparte to present a petition for his release', with a 20th century Wolf family tree written in French, Rev. Robert Barber Wolfe, was imprisoned at Givet POW Camp, where he and others introduced a series of educational classes covering navigation, he published a book about his experiences, (available online: https://books.google.co.uk/books?hl=en&lr=&id=bGkFb0ft-64C&oi=fnd&pg=PA1&ots=kcWy33Ybo1&sig=2HMxLK8qdn-6PxBr6i0lNYuHi3A&redir_esc=y#v=onepage&q&f=false )