Napoleon's Paris death mask 'fake'
The purported death mask of Napoleon on show in a Paris museum is not that of the emperor, a historian alleged yesterday.
Bruno Rey Henry said the real death mask had been auctioned to an unidentified individual in 2004.
He said the mask in Paris's military museum does not display a scar on the left cheek.
The French example also did not match up to Napoleon's known appearance, with a big head and powerful jaw, he added.
The French daily Liberation said the mask could be that of Napoleon's butler, Cipriani Franceschi, whose body, some claim was the one brought back to France for burial in 1840.
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Bruno Rey Henry said the real death mask had been auctioned to an unidentified individual in 2004.
He said the mask in Paris's military museum does not display a scar on the left cheek.
The French example also did not match up to Napoleon's known appearance, with a big head and powerful jaw, he added.
The French daily Liberation said the mask could be that of Napoleon's butler, Cipriani Franceschi, whose body, some claim was the one brought back to France for burial in 1840.