As soon as the Consulate period started, Napoleon Bonaparte (1769-1821) became aware of the importance of having his portrait shown to the French people. Thus, he initiated the edification of his own legend in the form of sculptures, snuff boxes, fans – anything that could bare his likeness. The multiplicity of objects bearing the effigy of the Emperor or representing imperial symbols constituted an extraordinary tool of propaganda for the Napoleonic legend.
When his son Aiglon was born, Napoleon gave him a Trudon candle adorned with three pieces of gold featuring… himself. Needless to say, he was not a self-conscious man!
In collaboration with The Plaster Cast Workshop of the Rmn – Grand Palais.
Please note: the busts are not meant to be burnt, they are for decorative purposes only.
SPECIFICATIONS
24cm High
ABOUT THE BRAND
Founded in 1643, Trudon is the oldest wax manufacturer in the world.
In 1640s Paris, Claude Trudon, a convenience store owner, began to make tapered candles with a new methodology he had developed, utilising a special blend of beeswax and vegetable wax. His high-quality candles rapidly gained popularity, as they didn’t warp, smoke or splutter, and therefore didn’t cause fires!
In 1702, Trudon opened a factory so that their highly sought-after candles could be manufactured on a larger scale. Before long, their secret wax formula (still used today!) attracted the attention of the Crown. The house of Trudon became the candle provider to the Royal Court of Louis XIV, as well as many of the great churches of France. Louis XIV was so impressed with their candles that he issued a seal of approval with his official family crest. This crest can now be seen affixed to every Trudon product, with the addition of the motto “Deo regique laborant”, which means: “they (the bees) work for God and the King”, a nod to the creature that made their successful wax formula possible!
By the mid-17th century, Trudon had become the largest wax manufacturer in France. As candle makers to the Royal Court, Trudon were commissioned to make candles for many French icons – from Louis XIV to Marie Antoinette to Napoleon Bonaparte. Napoleon actually commissioned Trudon to make a candle for the birth of his son – rumoured to be the only gift he ever gave him – a black candle made in his likeness, adorned in gold.
Fast forward to 2007 when the house took the name Trudon and became the leading specialist in manufacturing perfumed candles. All their candles are still hand-made, using traditional production methods akin to those Claude Trudon would have used in the 1600s. In their Normandy factory, each candle is hand-poured into hand-blown vessels from Tuscany. Today, Trudon has extended their range to a line of genderless perfumes in addition to their variety of options for luxuriously fragrancing your space.
