Servant of Napoleon

August 2026

This pipe bowl depicts the portrait of a grognard, a veteran of the guard of Emperor Napoleon I. Since the French word is sometimes translated as grumbler or grouch, it is understandable that it does not refer to the youngest and most resilient soldiers. The appearance of an elderly person with a high bearskin and bushy moustache and beard is therefore well chosen. The grognards remained proud of their service under the great emperor their entire lives, even when he had long been banished. Until the 1850s, these former soldiers walked through the French cities in full regalia. The maker of this pipe bowl is the Blanc-Garin company, which is evident from the stamped BG mark on the underside of the pipe bowl. This factory was located right next to the Gambier buildings in the northern French town of Givet in the Ardennes. Blanc-Garin was a significantly smaller company than Gambier, and not as successful. When there was a stagnation in the succession, it is not surprising that Gambier bought their entire factory. At that moment their assortment disappears from the market: Gambier continued to produce only one of Blanc-Garin’s pipe designs. Most of the models were outdated and the press moulds were melted down. That was the fate of the three-part press mould for this pipe.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 30.801

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