Rarely have a man and his hat been so linked in the collective imagination as Napoleon and his black, two-cornered hat.

Next month, a "bicorne" felt hat thought to have belonged to the French emperor will be up for auction in Fontainebleau in what the auctioneer calls the "sale of a century" for fans of the legendary leader.

Nearly 1,000 objects will be put on sale by auction house Osenat on Nov. 15 and 16, with the highlight being one of the iconic black hats said to have been worn by Napoleon during the Battle of Marengo in Italy in 1800.