Description:

Bonaparte Napoleon 1769 - 1821 Napoleon's Book of Fate, with hand painted engraved frontis and title page
Johnson's Edition of Napoleon Buonaparte's Celebrated Book of Fate or the Oraculum (referred to simply as Napoleon's Book of Fate), Published by WS Johnson, 60 St. Martins Lane, Charing Cross, London. A small format 5.25" x 3.5" stitched book bound in paper wraps, 20 pages unpaginated. Front and back wraps are present, slightly chipped but detached. Bifold frontis includes a hand painted engraving of Napoleon on his horse crossing the alps. Title page includes a hand painted engraved portrait of Napoleon. Overall very good condition.



Napoleon's voodoo book, which he consulted on many occasions, is said to have "formed a stimulus to his most speculative and most successful enterprises." Originally this Oraculum had been discovered in one of the Royal tombs of Egypt during a French military expedition of 1801. Napoleon ordered the book to be translated and from that time onwards the Oraculum remained one of Napoleon's most treasured possessions. A person was to consult the "Oraculum" with a specific question, perhaps regarding one's future fate, (somewhat resembling a Ouija board concept), and then one was to just let their hand move freely with a pen and make marks which would later be interpreted by the book.


A unique small book in soft wraps with stunning hand painted engraved frontis. Would make a great conversation piece which would certainly qualify as an interesting party game in lieu of charades.

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