Height overall: 14cm (5.5in)
Patinated bronze. Miniature caricature figure of a rotund Louis XVIII, hinged at the waist to reveal a miniature gilt Napoleon.
Whilst far from popular Louis XVIII pursued a moderate policy during his reign in an attempt to reconcile the legacies of Revolutionary and Napoleonic eras with that of the Ancien Régime and bring prosperity back to France. Gout afflicted Louis is recognizable by his corpulence and the insignia of the ancient monarchical Order of the Holy Spirit. Censorship under Louis XVIII prohibited depictions of Napoleon and displays of allegiance to the First Empire. The unflattering figure of the restored king, concealing a miniature figure of arguably the greates commander in history, thus found a ready market among former soldiers of the Grande Armée and former officials of the fallen regime.