54. Hard Stone Grand Tour Trophy Cane
Ca. 1860 Substantial sardonyx knob fashioned of a beautifully banded and richly dark-hued stone in a fancy Milord shape of an oval cross-section. The tapering body is symmetrically paneled and polished; each facet is hollowed at the top and repeats with a matching indentation. Notable is a strongly waisted collar that adds a beautiful, stylish note. The knob comes with a slender silver collar, delicately hand- chased with scrolls on a shaft with the sublime piano-like jet-black finish and a horn ferrule. Probably a custom trophy order for a wealthy visitor on a Grand Tour, this cane plays all the “Maestria of Éclectisme”. It survived flawlessly, and even with the initial black textile hand loop bound around the neck of the knob. 2 ½” x 1 ¾”, O.L. 40”
$500-$600
The Grand Tour was the traditional European travel under- taken mainly by young, upper-class European men of means. The custom flourished from about 1660 until the 1840s, when large-scale rail transit began, and was associated with a standard itinerary. It served as an educational rite of passage. Travel was arduous and costly throughout the period, possible only for a privileged class, the same that produced gentleman scientists, authors, antiquaries, and patrons of the arts.
112 - Continental Cane Collection Auction
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