'Ceci n'est pas un Berceau': The Majestic Cradle of Napoleon's Son

This article explores the significance of the cradle given on March 1811, by the citizens of Paris for the birth of Napoleon's son-the King of Rome-by addressing the object, its designers, its user, and its socio-cultural environment. Through the inspection of the etymology and the history of the cradle, the configuration, material and aesthetics of the King of Rome's other cradles, and the 'economy of the gift', this article claims that the citizens' cradle was in fact not a throne-shaped cradle, but rather a cradle-shaped throne, representing a materialized contract between the inhabitants of Paris and their sovereign.