Embroidered Handkerchief with the Monogram of Napoleon I, Maison Balbatre Aine, Paris.

Embroidered Handkerchief with the Monogram of Napoleon I, Maison Balbatre Aine, Paris. Framed in period veneer wood. An exceptional linen handkerchief embroidered with the crowned monogram “N” of Emperor Napoleon I, finely worked in white silk thread with floral and foliate scrolls, surmounted by an imperial crown. The embroidery is of superb quality, characteristic of the renowned Maison Balbatre Aine, a Parisian atelier specializing in luxury embroidery and monogrammed lines founded in 1804 at 17 rue Richer, with special workshops in Nancy. The textile, delicately mounted under glass within a 19th-century walnut veneer frame, preserves its elegant folded form. The reverse bears an old handwritten label reading: “Mouchoir au chiffre de Napoleon I, lui ayant appartenu, brode par la maison Balbatre Aine — Collection de Charles Crouvisier, successeur de Joseph, lui-meme neveu de Balbatre Ain.” This note documents the piece’s transmission from the Balbatre atelier to the Crouvisier family, who continued the firm’s operations into the later 19th century. A rare and intimate imperial relic, representing both the refinement of the First Empire domestic luxury and the enduring artistry of France’s finest embroidery houses. Dimensions (framed): approx. 29 × 24 cm. Condition: Embroidery and monogram in excellent preservation.