Marie Antoinette's silk shoe goes up for sale in Versailles
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat displays a shoe made of goatskin that belonged to late French queen Marie-Antoinette during an interview with Reuters, before going under the hammer, in Versailles, near Paris, France, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
A silk shoe that belonged to Marie Antoinette, the last queen of France who was executed during the French Revolution, will go up for auction on Sunday - with a starting price of 10,000 euros ($11,800).
The sale takes place in the Palace of Versailles, where the queen - who has gone down in history as a symbol of the excesses of the French monarchy - and King Louis XVI held court before they were guillotined in 1793.
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat displays a shoe made of goatskin that belonged to late French queen Marie-Antoinette during an interview with Reuters, before going under the hammer, in Versailles, near Paris, France, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
The shoe bears her name on its heel and Jean-Pierre Osenat, of the auction house that is conducting the sale, said she is thought to have worn it regularly during daily life at the palace.
"This auction is coming at a time when French people are facing real uncertainties regarding their values, and many of them are clinging onto the history of France," said Osenat.
"Marie Antoinette is someone who arouses the interest of the whole world."
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat displays a shoe made of goatskin that belonged to late French queen Marie-Antoinette during an interview with Reuters, before going under the hammer, in Versailles, near Paris, France, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
(Reporting by Christian Hartmann; writing by Sudip Kar-Gupta; editing by John Stonestreet)
Auctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat displays a shoe made of goatskin that belonged to late French queen Marie-Antoinette during an interview with Reuters, before going under the hammer, in Versailles, near Paris, France, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Christian HartmannAuctioneer Jean-Pierre Osenat displays a shoe made of goatskin that belonged to late French queen Marie-Antoinette during an interview with Reuters, before going under the hammer, in Versailles, near Paris, France, November 14, 2020. REUTERS/Christian Hartmann
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