Sharjah24 – Reuters: A newly discovered hat with DNA evidence proving it belonged to the legendary European statesman and general Napoleon Bonaparte was previewed by auction house Bonhams in Hong Kong on Monday.
Described by Bonhams as the "first hat to bear the Emperor's DNA", it is on display in Hong Kong before it moves to Paris and then London, where it will be auctioned on Oct. 27.
The hat, one of the iconic bicornes often seen in depictions of Napoleon on the battlefield, had been bought by its present owner at a small German auction house that did not know at the time it had belonged to the emperor.
"It was purely a chance encounter," said Simon Cottle, managing director for Bonhams Europe.
The buyer became intrigued when he realised it had inscriptions and other characteristics suggesting it could have belonged to Napoleon, Cottle said, adding that an initial investigation suggested it matched the dimensions and age of Napoleon's bicornes.
The hat was then tested extensively using various methods, including electronic microscopy.
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