77. White Metal “Naughty Leg” Cane
Circa 1870 An L-shaped, white-metal handle crowns this high-grade ebony shaft, which displays seldom encountered and beautiful, warm, brownish hues and terminates in a horn ferrule. Finely chased details reveal a shapely leg adorned with frilled undergarments, a coquettish garter, and dainty boots. An image that flirts with the mildly erotic charm so beloved of the French CanCan imagination that caused such a furor at the time. In its own day, such a cane was considered deliciously daring, a playful wink at propriety wrapped in polished respectability. Today it stands as a charming relic of that prim yet mischievous age: a witty “conversation cane” sure to raise both eyebrows and smiles. The original owner, mindful of the rough-and-tumble character of the venues where such entertainments flourished, showed admirable foresight in commissioning the handle in a heavy and solid execution. Beneath its humorous veneer lies a practical secret: the substantial weight and sharp contours of the handle turn this stylish accessory into a discreet but persuasive weapon, known as a knobkerrie, or more colloquially, a life preserver or bludgeon. The cane remained in excellent condition, displaying only the soft traces of age that lend authenticity and charm. And, as one later owner was fond of remarking, it never failed to draw attention, particularly from ladies, who, intrigued by its story, invariably wished to take it in hand themselves.
For comparable canes, see C. Dike, Cane Curiosa, Chapter 28 “Bludgeons,” p. 279 (28/1), and Chapter 29 “Sword Canes,”
p. 297, and Francis Monek, Canes Through the Ages, pp. 217 & 226.
$400-$500
158 - Continental Cane Collection Auction
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