The auction organized at the Château d’Artigny in Montbazon (Indre-et-Loire) on Sunday May 19 and Monday May 20 promises to be exceptional. Between Renoir’s latest work and François Hollande’s famous scooter, a full-size replica of the controversial Bokassa throne, unveiled during his coronation in 1977, will be available for purchase at a starting price of 10,000 euros. The original, made at the Fondica foundry in Gisors (Eure), cost 2.5 million dollars…
“It is thanks to testimonies from former employees and managers of the foundry, images and archive videos that we managed to recreate this unique replica in our cabinetmaking workshops in Château-Thierry in Aisne. in solid mahogany of the life-size Bokassa throne. Gilded with gold leaf, it measures 3 m high, 3.5 m wide and one meter deep. It is in four parts without the platform. A large size which makes it difficult to sell,” explains Remi Le Forestier, director of Percier et Fontaine.
The company designs, manufactures and regularly sells thrones for cinema, theater, events, etc. This replica, dating from 2022, was exhibited in different prestigious places in 2023 such as at the Château des Princes de Condé in Condé-en- Brie (Aisne) or at the Palais Vivienne in Paris with Pierre-Jean Chalençon, collector of Napoleonic objects: “Bokassa was a great admirer of Napoleon. He had modeled his coronation ceremony on his own. Jean-Barthélémy Bokassa, first grandson of the emperor and friend of Mr. Chalençon, even sat on the throne that he knew until he was 5 years old,” explains Remi The Forester.
Today, its metal carcass continues to rust in a courtyard of the Ministry of Culture in Bangui. For Remi Le Forestier, “he is the king of thrones. The auction of his copy puts us in the light. If we can make this complex piece of furniture, we can do anything. Our goal is not to legitimize or glorify the Bokassa regime, but to pay tribute to the artisans who worked on it for a total of 2,000 hours! »
