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A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 1
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 2
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 3
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 4
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 5
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 6
A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821 image 7
Lot 110

A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA,
Dated 5 May 1821

The Connoisseur's Library Sale
15 – 16 February 2022, 10:00 GMT
London, Knightsbridge

Sold for £1,211.25 inc. premium

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A BONE APPLE CORER CARVED BY A BRITISH ARMY GUARD OF THE 20TH REGIMENT OF FOOT ON ST. HELENA, Dated 5 May 1821

A bone apple corer engraved on the turned handle JAMESTOWN,, and 5 May 1821 within a wreath on one side and the emblem for the 20th Foot on the other, and with a motto below QUIS CUSTODIET, the blade inscribed in manuscript Longwood House, Saint Helena Island, May 1821 20th Regt. 6in (15cm high) in modern glazed oak display case with a silvered regimental button of the 20th Foot,
5 3/4in (14.5cm) long; 7 3/4in (20cm) high in case

Footnotes

This apple corer was very probably crafted by one of Napoleon's guard to commemorate his death whilst in exile on the island of Saint Helena.

After Napoleon's defeat at Waterloo in 1815, the British sent him to the island of St. Helena to live out his exile from Europe. The island is situated in the South Atlantic Ocean some 1,200 miles off the coast of Africa, and, at the time, was in the ownership of the East India Company. The inaccessibility of this location was partly chosen in order to avoid any escape attempts, as had been seen early in 1815 with Napoleon's successful escape from the Mediterranean island of Elba. Another precaution taken by the British was a personal military guard to accompany the existing garrison of 3,000 soldiers, along with six ships on constant patrol of the coastal waters, and an array of heavier ships moored off the capital, Jamestown.

In 1819, the 20th Regiment of Foot arrived on the island and were assigned as Napoleon's guard at his residence, Longwood House. This item has been inscribed with the emblem of the 20th Foot and is also inscribed 'Longwood House', so we can say with confidence that this would have been crafted by one of his close guard. A further inscription 'quis custodiet' translates as 'who will guard', again making clear reference to the maker's position.

Napoleon died at Longwood on the 5th May 1821. This date has been inscribed on the corer followed by the word 'vale', being the Latin for 'farewell'. On the day of his funeral, Napoleon's casket was carried by twelve grenadiers of his house guard.

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