59. Silver Dress Cane
Ca 1880 Oversized silver handle featuring a beautifully proportioned, tapered profile adorned with three finely hand-chased and engraved continuous panels in the Rococo style. These panels, elegantly stacked, display exquisite arrangements of harmonious scrolls, foliate motifs, swags, and flowers. Each section displays remarkable detail, distinct from the others, while conveying a refreshing, harmonious effect. The handle features tiny French silver hallmarks and a maker's mark yet to be identified. The silver needs some polishing to fully reveal the guilloche's beauty. It comes with a light brown hardwood shaft, a high-gloss French Polish that accentuates the precious wood grain with deep color and chatoyancy, and a matched horn ferrule. This cane falls outside the usual category and celebrates French refinement and elegance. It represents the Belle Époque, when new socialism and a sense of personal identity were born. The masses began to reject the idea of privilege as the path to a better life and embraced la Joie de Vivre. H. 7” x ¾”, O.L. 38 ½”
$400-$500
A Note on Cane Shafts. T hough it is possible, in theory, to fashion a cane shaft from almost any wood, experience has shown that true excellence depends upon a discerning choice of material. Strength and resilience are of first importance, while in finer examples, the density, grain, and natural coloration lend distinction and character. Foremost, one must learn the language of wood, how it reveals its nature through its grain and growth pattern. Straight grain is essential, for it greatly influences resistance to bending. The tighter the grain, the more it rewards the craftsman’s skill, yielding a finer surface and greater comfort in the user’s hand. Whatever the wood, the blanks have to be left to dry for a couple of years before touching them. It should also be remembered that as the shaft grows thinner, the range of suitable woods narrows, and the shaping and finishing become increasingly delicate and demanding, so much so that few are inclined to test their abilities in this realm. This brief note offers only a glimpse into the making of canes and their shafts, a craft deserving of a volume in its own right. Yet it may be said that while many a skilled woodworker can fashion a shaft, to master the art itself is the work of a lifetime. The Belle Époque (French for "Beautiful Era") refers to a period in France, roughly from the late 19th century (1871) to the outbreak of World War I in 1914. It was a time of cultural flour- ishing, economic growth, and technological advancement. Paris became the center of art, fashion, and innovation, with iconic figures like Monet, Renoir, and Toulouse-Lautrec defining the era's artistic movement. The period is characterized by optimism, extravagant social life, and significant developments in literature, music, and architecture.
Continental Cane Collection Auction - 123
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