60. Essex Crystal Cane
Ca 1890 This rock crystal ball, carved from flawless transparent stone, exudes clarity and refined elegance. Masterfully reverse-carved and highlighted with vibrant natural colors, it depicts a duck by the waterside. However, the true brilliance of this piece is the intricately engraved duck, seemingly suspended in mid-flight within the crystal, a breathtaking illusion of motion and freedom that showcases the lapidary’s great skill. The crystal knob, mounted in gilt with an elegant collar, is paired with a snakewood shaft, the “king of woods,” and finished with a polished horn ferrule, combining luxury and craftsmanship in every detail. Exceedingly rare, this cane exemplifies the celebrated Viennese lapidary “Neat” style, where under- stated simplicity reveals the superior quality of materials and artistry. It transcends mere utility, em- bodying the prestige, refinement, and collectible allure of the legendary Objects of Virtue. This market-fresh example comes from a renowned North East Coast collection of canes, assembled in the 1960s and dispersed at the turn of the millennium, enhancing both its provenance and desirability. The piece is flawless, representing a singular opportunity for collectors to acquire a work of unparal- leled artistry and historical significance. Notable is the challenge of capturing the transparency of rock crystal in photography. Here, it was al- most a nightmare, and in real life, the knob looks by far much better than in the picture. H. 2 ½” x 1 ½”, O.L. 37”
$800-$1,200
The intriguing mystery we seek to unravel is how this wonder could have been accomplished. Glyptography, the art of carving gemstones, is essential here. This term refers to both intaglios and cameos. In this case, it pertains specifically to reverse crystal intaglios and, with a twist. A reverse crystal intaglio, generally known as Essex Crystal, is a rock crystal cabochon with an intaglio carved into the flat back. The intaglio is also painted realistically with oils so that the image appears three-dimensional when viewed from the top or, in this case, from the side. Finally, the back is sealed to preserve the painted areas. The more profound the carving, the more pronounced the trompe l’œil effect becomes. The wonder is that we have here two intaglios, carved separately and painted from the back, in perfect harmony and back-to-back adjustment, making the blooms appear to be floating in between. Confusingly, the name Essex Crystal stems from a one-and-a-half-century-old misunderstanding. The technique originated in Belgium around 1860 and is attributed to an artist named Emile Marius Pradier. it gained popularity in England through Thomas Cook, who created crystals for Lambeth & Co., London. The genre's popularity prompted Mr. Cook to train an apprentice, Thomas Bean, to help in the process. However, around the same time, there was a famed miniaturist to Queen Victoria named William Essex. It appears that the public saw such wonderous miniature works and assumed they could come from no other person than the celebrated Essex, so the name Essex Crystal was born, despite it having nothing to do with Essex at all! Bean’s son and grandson continued the tradition of reverse crystal intaglio production, keeping the secrets of this mysterious process within the family. Gradually, the technique spread and was adopted in Vienna, achieving unprecedented height for a very short period of less than a decade, unlike before or since. This suggests an extraordinary talent whose identity will likely remain forever in the shadows.
124 - Continental Cane Collection Auction
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker