Decorative cushion on which the keys of the city of The Hague were presented to Emperor Napoleon
In 1811 Emperor Napoleon Bonaparte visited The Hague. The Netherlands had been annexed by the emperor a year earlier and was therefore part of the First French Empire. In honor of the high visit, city officials from The Hague presented Napoleon with the keys to the city. These "symbolic" keys, which in reality did not fit anything, were unfortunately lost during the Second World War. But fortunately there is still the cushion on which those keys were presented to Napoleon: a beautifully decorated, red velvet decorative cushion with an N (of Napoleon) embroidered in gold in the center, surmounted by an imperial crown. In addition, there is another similar pillow on which 'French verses' were presented to the emperor.
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It was a short visit, because on October 25, one day after his arrival, the emperor left again. The Hague was left with something: Napoleon granted the city the status of 'bonne ville de l'empire' (good city of the empire). This status was mainly an honorary title and in practice it did not amount to much. Nevertheless, this 'elevation' will have been welcome - after all, The Hague had always formally been a 'village'.
Decorative cushion on which the keys of the city of The Hague were presented to Emperor Napoleon, approx. 1811
Specifications
- Manufacturer: unknown
- Dated: ca. 1811
- Object number: 0000-0026-OWE
- Materials: velvet, gold thread
- Dimensions: 36.0 x 37.0 cm
Literature (Dutch)
- Albert Andriessen, ‘De “Haagse Bataven” heten de keizer welkom’, Napoleon in Nederland 1, no. 6 (2001), p. 20-23.
- A.J. Servaas van Rooyen, Catalogus der geschied- en oudheidkundige voorwerpen van het Gemeente-museum van ’s-Gravenhage (Den Haag 1908) 27, cat.nr. 68; 139-140, cat.nr. 383.