Antique French Porcelain Napoleon Figurine

Superb modeling, hand painted strong colors and rich details with gilding are displayed on this French porcelain figurine of Napoleon Bonaparte. His finely modeled face is topped with a bicorne (two-cornered) hat worn "en bataille" (with the corns parallel to his shoulders), a look Napoleon made famous in Europe. He is wearing a ruffled shirt under a double-breasted jacket with a long tail and patterned cummerbund. Posed in front of a draped flag, the general is holding his sword in his right hand, with its scabbard at his left.

Napoleon is standing on a rectangular plinth edged in gold and scalloped. It's marked with a painted gold anchor at the rear and we are attributing it to Edmé Samson of Paris, although there were other companies working at the same time in France in the early 1900s that made porcelains in the manner of 18th century firms such Sévres, Chelsea and Meissen.

This beautiful figurine stands 8 1/2 inches tall on a base 3 1/4 inches by 2 1/2 inches and weighs 8 ounces. It's in excellent condition, with easily broken details like fingers and the finial of the flagpole all intact. No chips, no cracks, no missing pieces...just an exquisitely made antique figurine.

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