Napoleons sword sold for $6.4 million
Napoleon's sword sold for $6.4 million拿破仑宝剑640万美元高价拍卖
A gold-encrusted sword Napoleon wore into battle in Italy 200 years ago was sold Sunday for more than $6.4 million, an auction house said.
The last of Napoleon's swords in private hands, it has an estimated value of far less — about $1.6 million, according to the Osenat auction house managing the sale.
Applause rang out in a packed auction hall across the street from one of Napoleon's imperial castles in Fontainebleau, a town southeast of Paris, when the sword was sold.
Osenat did not identify the buyer, but said the sword will remain in Napoleon's family, which had put it up for sale. The auction house did not immediately elaborate on the details.
The intricately decorated blade is 32 inches in length and curves gently — an inspiration Napoleon drew from his Egyptian campaign, auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat said.
The sword was carried by Napoleon — who was not yet emperor — into the battle of Marengo in June 1800, when he launched a surprise attack to push the Austrian army from Italy and seal France's victory, auction house officials said.
After the battle, Napoleon gave the sword to his brother as a wedding present, and it was passed down through the generations, never leaving the family, according to the auction house.
The sword was declared a national treasure in 1978, meaning that under French law it could be sold to a foreign buyer but had to remain in France for at least five months per year.
1. gold-encrusted：镀金的
2. in private hands：私人拥有的
3. elaborate：详细说明
4. intricately：精致地
5. Marengo：1800年6月14日，拿破仑波拿巴指挥的军队与梅拉斯元帅指挥的奥地利军队在马伦戈进行的一次交战。马伦哥战役是拿破仑执政后指挥的第一个重要战役。这次战役的胜利，对于巩固法国脆弱的资产阶级政权，对于加强拿破仑的统治地位都有着重要的意义。
上周日，一把200年前拿破仑在意大利征战使用过的镀金宝剑以640万美元的高价拍卖成交。
主办此次拍卖的拍卖行表示，这是拿破仑最后一支由私人收藏的宝剑，预计的底价仅为160万美元。
此次拍卖是在拿破仑的一个皇家城堡的对面举行的，城堡位于法国东南部的枫丹白露。拍卖的现场挤满了人。
拍卖行没有公布买家的身份，并表示此把宝剑目前仍保留在拿破仑家族中。至于具体的细节，此拍卖行没有立即说明。
拍卖行的让.皮埃尔说，这把雕刻精细的宝剑剑身长32英寸，弧线优美，据说制作这支宝剑的灵感来自于拿破仑征服埃及的战争。
1800年6月，还未称帝的拿破仑向奥地利军队进行突袭，把他们赶出了意大利，即著名的马伦戈战役，以此奠定了法国的最终胜利。当时，他使用的便是这把利剑。
战争之后，拿破仑把这把宝剑作为新婚礼物送给了他的兄弟。从此以后，这把宝剑就从未离开过拿破仑家族，而被后人传承至今。
1978年法国政府宣布这把宝剑为法国国宝，法律允许出售此剑，但同时规定，每年宝剑必须回归法国，保存至少5个月。
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