A Consulat gilt-brass mounted mahogany bidet, circa 1800, stamped Georges Jacob, the liner by Martin-Guillaume Biennais

Sotheby's Paris, Anciennes collections du Musée Grévin, 12 March 2002, Lot 95

P.-J. Chalençon, Napoléon, La Collection, Paris, 2019, p. 121-123

Emerging in France at the beginning of the 18th century, the bidet is an intimate hygiene piece invented by Parisian cabinetmakers for the aristocracy. Its name derives from the old French word "bidet," meaning a small horse, referring to the straddling position adopted during use. Quickly embraced by the elite, it becomes a symbol of personal refinement. In Diderot and d’Alembert’s Encyclopaedia, it is defined as “un petit meuble de chambre, en forme de siège, sur lequel on se met à cheval pour sa toilette.”

Several exquisite examples are preserved in national collections, such as a bidet in walnut, violet wood, and gilt bronze crafted by BVRB II, delivered in 1741 for Louis XV at the Château de Bellevue, now held at the Château de Versailles.

Napoleon I, ever attentive to his comfort, never travels without a portable bidet. Several bidets are commissioned for the Emperor, including one, like ours, crafted by Jacob-Desmalter in 1810 for Napoleon’s bathroom at the Grand Trianon. Another, delivered between 1809 and 1814 by Martin-Guillaume Biennais and preserved at the Château de Fontainebleau, matches ours in decoration and accompanies Napoleon on his campaigns.

Biennais, who described himself as a cabinet-maker and fan-maker, worked with a number of renowned Empire craftsmen, including cabinet-makers Moreau and Georges Jacob, and architects such as Percier and Fontaine.

The quality of the object, its decoration and the monogrammed letter B on the lid suggest that it was made for Bonaparte when he was First Consul.