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N49 - Ier Rég. des Grenadiers

ref. EK castings Zinnfigure N49

EK castings N49 - Orlonosets Footmen grenadiers Imp. Guards. France, 1812-14
The symbol is a rooster. The imperial sculptor Shode made a model based on the eagle of the Roman legions. The gilded eagle was cast from bronze and mounted on the plinth, leaning with its right paw on Jupiter's pen. From now on, the "Eagle" on the blue shaft was a sacred symbol, and it was every soldier who had to defend it until the last breath. Initially, the "Eagle" was supplemented by a modest cloth of the sample in 1804, which had a central white diamond, blue and red corners. All inscriptions and decorative elements were made with bronze paint.
The decree of December 25, 1811, read: "The eagle can be granted only to the infantry by at least 1200 combat rank officers ...". Thus, the regiment accounted for only one "Eagle", worn in the 1st Battalion.
In 1811, a new banner design appeared, markedly different from the simple model of 1804. The cloth was a tricolor made of vertical stripes of blue, white and red. The new banner had a rich gold embroidery, fringe and velvet ribbons with gold brushes. The inscription on the front side changed insignificantly: instead of "IMPERATOR FRANZUZOV" appeared another - "IMPERATOR Napoleon". But on the reverse side, according to Napoleon's order, the names of victorious battles were embroidered with gold, where he personally commanded.
Guards regiments received the banner of a new model in 1813. On the front side was: IMPERIAL GUARD / EMPEROR NAPOLEON / SHELTER / FANS / GRENADER. On the reverse side: MARENGO, ULM / AUSTERLITZ, JENE / EILAU, FRIEDLAND / ECMYL, ESSLING / VAGRAM, SMOLENSK / MOSCOW-RIVER / VIENNA, BERLIN / MADRID, MOSCOW.
After the abdication of Napoleon in 1814, most of the "Eagles" were destroyed by order of the Bourbon government.
During the "100 days" new "Eagles" of the same kind, but of a lower quality, were manufactured. The Guards infantry received only two Eagles - one each in the 1st regiments of Foot Grenadiers and Footmen.