RARISSIME HAMPE DE DRAPEAU DES TROUPES NAPOLITAINES... Lot n° 199

Regimental flagpole of the Army of the Kingdom of Naples featuring the prancing horse of Joachim Murat, King of Naples (1808-1815). Sculpture in gilded and chased bronze, with circular base, later mounted on a half-column base in blackened turned wood. Good condition, a few small holes. First Empire period, 1811-1814. H. 23 cm (32 cm with base). History Joseph Bonaparte, appointed King of Naples by imperial decree on March 31, 1806, chose as his emblem the "prancing horse" symbolizing the city of Naples; the equestrian figure was affixed to the coat of arms of the new kingdom, alongside the triqueter, representing Sicily; these two heraldic pieces also appeared on the star of the Royal Order of the Two Sicilies created in February 1808. Called to the Spanish throne by the Treaty of Bayonne, Joseph left the crown of Naples to his brother-in-law, until then Grand Duke of Berg and Cleves, who entered Naples on September 6, 1808. When his army was reorganized and new regiments created in March 1809, eagles were again distributed during the flag-issuing ceremony. It was in 1811 (perhaps in reaction to the birth of the new heir to the Empire, the King of Rome) that Murat decided to distinguish himself from France and the Grande Armée, by emphasizing national symbols and in particular the equestrian figure of the Kingdom of Naples; the French cockade was replaced by the Neapolitan cockade, white with an amaranth center; the "prancing horse" replaced the eagles on the standards of the armies of the Kingdom of Naples; most "French-style" uniforms changed stripes and colors, and sabretaches were adorned with the Neapolitan horse. A decree dated February 5, 1811 detailed the new provisions: Article I - The national colors of our kingdom will be white, celestial, amaranth. Art II - In the flag, the field will be celestial, the middle adorned with the escutcheon of our Arms, and the extremities will be formed by a double chessboard border with equal squares of amaranth and white colors arranged in such a way that the celestial color exceeds the width of the squares. Art III - The flagpole painted celestial blue, surmounted by a prancing horse in gilded bronze resting on a Corinthian capital also in gilded bronze. While the imperial eagles are reputed to have been cast by Thomire from designs by Chaudet, Murat's equestrian figure was probably created under the inspiration of a Neapolitan artist, and executed over a very short period, between 1811 and 1814. Similar in size to the eagles, but with no distinctive markings, the prancing horse was placed on a round base set on a Corinthian-style capital. These figurines remain extremely rare, most Italian flags having been taken at the end of the Russian campaign, during the 1813 campaign, in particular at Danzig (ill. 1) and at the Battle of Leipzig, or destroyed in 1815 on the return of the Bourbons. As a result, many of these flags and their staffs found their way into Russian museum collections, before disappearing during the Second World War. Related works - Flagpole of the troops of the Kingdom of Naples, c. 1811. Musée de la Légion d'Honneur, former Spada collection (ill. 1). - Flagpole of the troops of the Kingdom of Naples, Musée Napoléon, Fontainebleau, former collection of Prince Napoléon, inv. N251 (ill. 2). - Flagpole of the troops of the Kingdom of Naples, Musée de l'Armée, Paris, inv.04495.1389; Gf39MOK (ill. 3). - Flagpole of the troops of the Kingdom of Naples, former collection of the Prince of Monaco, Osenat sale, November 15, 2014, lot 204 (sold for €30,000). - Flag of the 5th Calabrian regiment (11th corps of Marshal Augereau, 33rd infantry division of General d'Estrées), taken at Danzig in 1813 (ill. 4-5). - Flag of the 6th Neapolitan line regiment (11th corps of Marshal Augereau, 33rd infantry division of General d'Estrées), taken at Danzig in 1813 (ill. 6). - Flag of the 4th Neapolitan Line Regiment (11th corps of Marshal Augereau, 33rd infantry division of General d'Estrées) (ill. 7).