53. Steel and Gold Toledo Damascene Cane
Ca. 1900 A stretched-down damascene steel handle with four tapering panels completely covered in dense 24-karat gold wire inlay that is arranged in two different but complementary config- urations, starting with the traditional chimeras and moving downward to swirling floral trel- lises, trailing patterns, and multiple ribbon borders. A diamond-shaped panel dominates the top itself with a larger, more ornate chimera within framing ribbon borders. The knob is graced by a straight-grained mahogany shaft with the characteristic and desir- able reddish-brown tint and a complementing horn ferrule. Apparently treasured and sparingly used at festive occasions, this cane survived in mint condition, retaining its original sparkle. The artistic bravura and technical virtuosity manifested here is breathtaking, and let us assume that this handle originates from the workshops of the grand master Placido Zuloaga from Eibar. Indeed, the preservation of damascening in Spain was almost entirely due to the genius of a single family, the Zuloagas. The town of Eibar, remote in the mountains of the Basque country, became, through their efforts, the center of European damascening in the 19th century. H. 2 ½” x 1”, O.L. 37”6
$500-$400
The Victorians' interest in techniques, their admiration for the crafts, as well as the art and architecture of the Middle Ages and Renaissance, and most importantly, their enthusiasm for organizing industrial art exhibitions, created exceptional opportunities for craftsmen. They were finally able to showcase and enhance their skills in a manner that was previously only accessible to painters and sculptors. Preeminent among such craftsmen in contemporary eyes were the art-metalworkers who produced decorative objects, usually in pseudo-medieval or Renaissance style, in both precious and base metals. Leading among these were the virtuoso exponents of embossed and chiseled ornament with whom the Zuloagas are to be ranked, though they are now best known for their gold and silver damascened work on iron. The adulation that the prominent figures in this field have received from contemporary critics now seems extraordinary.
The illustration with the cabinet featuring the Damascene Ware-Spain is from the Paris Exposition Universelle, 1900.
Continental Cane Collection Auction - 111
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