Napoleon's Cloak
Contemporary biographies, and other works, including Tolstoy's 'War and Peace', describe Napoleon wearing a cloak of this nature during his campaigns in Egypt in the late 1790s. The design is inspired by the North African burnous, traditionally worn by Berbers, although this cloak was probably made in France. It was seized from Napoleon's baggage train at the field of Waterloo, following the defeat of the Emperor.
A burnous is a man’s hooded cloak traditionally found in North Africa, especially Morocco. There is a particular example that is now in the Royal Collection, London (RCIN 61156). It is believed to have been owned by the French Emperor, Napoleon Bonaparte, who was defeated at the Battle of Waterloo (Belgium) in 1815.
'Napoleon’s burnous’ was among the items confiscated by General Blücher (the Prussian military leader and opponent of Napoleon at Waterloo)), who presented it to the Prince Regent (of Britain). It was recorded in July 1816 in the Charlton House Inventory as “Said to be a Cloak worn by Bonaparte” and “A large cloak made of Scarlet Cloth with Large Hood. The Hood, The Front Embroidered with Gold. Parts of the inside of the Front of the Cloak lined with Silk Embroidered with Gold.” It was transferred to Windsor Castle in March 1837, as being “Cloak of Napoleon 1st said to have been brought by him from Egypt, and teken [sic] out of his Carriage by the Prussians after Waterloo.” This attribution was strengthened in 1870 by a former Aide de Camp of Blücher who is said to have recognised it as the one he personally removed from the emperor’s baggage train.
The burnous is made from a thick red felt with a yellow silk brocade lining decorated with woven pink roses. The lower front of the garment is embellished with appliqué purple silk on the red felt. The stylised design so created is said to represent the French Imperial Eagle. There is also intricate passementerie decoration with a silver coloured cord on the hood, around the front and along the hem of the cloak. In addition, there are two decorative tassels hanging from the neck opening.
The hooded cloak is believed to have been made sometime between 1798-1805, possibly while Napoleon was in Egypt. Although the cloak is often described as Egyptian in style (probably because of the quote given above that it was “brought by him from Egypt”), in fact it is not. It is Maghrebi in style and closer to Moroccan forms than Egyptian cloaks of the period. It is not clear, however, if this particular burnous was made in North Africa or in France. The yellow silk cloth appears to be French in origin, while the red felt could be North African or French. The passementerie is typical of Moroccan work. The use of a deep panel in the front connecting the two long sides of the cloak is also North African in style rather than French.
http://trc-leiden.nl/trc-needles/index.php/component/k2/item/10546-napoleons-burnous
http://www.nam.ac.uk/waterloo200/200-objects/
http://www.royalcollection.org.uk/collection/61156/napoleons-cloak-burnous
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