Napoleonic Prisoner-of-War Guillotine

An incredible and extremely rare artifact of world history, this mutton bone model of a guillotine was created during the Napoleonic Wars by a French prisoner of war. Many of the inmates at the prisoner of war camps were skilled artisans long before they were soldiers, and because of the long duration of the conflict and cost of care, their captors encouraged detainees to use their skills to create objects to be sold at civilian open markets. Because of the intricacy of these fascinating objets d'art, very few of these models have survived the test of time. This masterpiece is impeccably detailed with soldiers and cannons lining the platforms. Adding to the rarity of this piece is that it has moving parts, as only a scant few model carvings were ever created with such mechanical accuracy. The soldiers have movable arms, while the guillotine features a movable "blade" for added authenticity.

By many accounts, Napoleonic prisoners of war were confined to mostly makeshift prisons in old castles, naval dockyards and purpose-built camps. Though treated fairly well, prisoners were typically kept in rather dark conditions and were not allowed to have objects that could be used as weapons, including tools. That means inmates would have had to create these amazing models using handmade tools made of whatever was available, including shards of glass for carving. Additionally, this activity was most likely done by candlelight. With this perspective, the precision and intricacy of this model become even more incredible.  

Circa 1810

7 5/8" wide x 10 1/4" deep x 18" high
With stand: 9 1/2" wide x 11 3/4" deep x 20 1/2" high