Orders, Decorations, Medals and Militaria

A General Officer’s Mameluke sword and related Daguerreotype portrait appertaining to Deputy Commissary General Denzil Ibbetson, who accompanied Napoleon to St. Helena aboard the Northumberland and remained employed there until the ex-Emperor’s death - a period that witnessed him executing many notable portraits of the celebrated captive
Mameluke Pattern Sword, 80 cm. plain curved blade with single fuller plain brass cross piece, and vecasso, double-sided ivory panels, cracked and chipped, remains of scarlet knot, contained in its (dented) steel scabbard, together with an early Daguerreotype portrait of Ibbetson in his Deputy Commissary General’s uniform, wearing the Military General Service Medal 1793-1814, by J. E. Mayall, 433 West Strand, circa 1850, in its original red leather carrying case with gilt decorated Mayall title to lid, the case somewhat damaged but the interior image, with gilt mount and glazed front, good £800-1200

J. E. Mayall moved to 433 West Strand in May 1847.

Denzil Ibbetson was born in July 1775 and entered the Commissariat Department as a Clerk in June 1808. Having then witnessed active service at Roleia and Vimiera in August of the same year, he was advanced to Deputy Assistant Commissary General in October 1810 and to Assistant Commissary General in December 1814, and was serving in the South of France when ordered to join the Northumberland, bound for St. Helena with Napoleon, in the following year. As stated above, he remained employed there until the ex-Emperor’s death, thus sharing the distinction of being one of only four British officers to have been stationed there throughout his captivity. The St. Helena’s Who’s Who continues:

‘For the first three years of his stay in St. Helena, Ibbetson had little to do with Longwood, for the purveyorship was in the hands of Balcombe, Fowler and Co.; but after the departure of Balcombe, Ibbetson assumed charge, and apparently performed his duties to the satisfaction of Lowe, for the Governor wrote a eulogistic letter afterwards.

But Ibbetson’s chief claim to distinction rests upon his ability as an artist. While on board the Northumberland he made sketches of Napoleon, many of which were in the collection of Mr. A. M. Broadley. Again, while in St. Helena, he did several portraits and sketches of Napoleon and his followers, notably the sketch of Napoleon on his death-bed, and before he was dressed in his uniform. For a full account of Ibbetson, see the excellent article by the late Mr. A. M. Broadley in The Century Magazine, April 1912.’

The same source adds:

‘This artist [Ibbetson] executed more portraits of Napoleon than any other, and his skill was of a higher order than all the rest, with the exception of Vidal. He drew numerous portraits of Napoleon while on board the Northumberland, and when in St. Helena. He also painted the well-known portrait of Napoleon after death, and before being dressed in uniform. He was responsible for the celebrated Five Heads portrait of Napoleon and his four companions, Las Cases, Bertrand, Montholon and Gourgaud. He also executed a very commendable painting of the Tomb. Many of the originals of these portraits were in the Broadley collection and other private hands. Indeed it is probable that Ibbetson was often applied to for a portrait, and made copies for that purpose.’

Ibbetson, who was advanced to Deputy Commissary General in September 1830, died in February 1857.

Provenance:

Privately purchased in New Zealand by the current owner in 2008. On 29 June 2010, the auctioneers Art&Object of Auckland sold a collection of 40 items appertaining to Ibbetson, including some of his drawings and his St. Helena journal, a collection that had been brought to New Zealand by his son in 1864.