So far, so good; however, what makes this cane more remarkable is the story that has been passed along with it, saying that the handle belonged to the step door of a coach of the Imperial Russian Court and was rescued by a guard during the Russian Revolution, which dismantled the Tsarist autocracy. Like many of the treasures of that era, it landed in the Western World, where it was recycled as a cane handle. Ex-private collection formed during the 1930s, then in the possession of Marina Bowater, a prominent Russian art expert in London, and subse- quently passed down through her family. H. 5 ¼” x 2 ¾”, O.L. 36 ¼”
$1,600-$2,500
Because of its strategic location on trade routes between Western Europe and Asia, as well as between Scandinavia and the Byzantine and Islamic Near East, Russia absorbed many cultures and developed distinctive styles. It is not sur- prising that Russian jewels and enamels mirror the decorative traditions of many cultures. By the end of the 19th century, the rich layering of stylistic influences that had accumulated over about three hundred years had created apparent tension between Moscow’s Russianness and St. Petersburg’s Europeanism. These different approaches to cultural heritage are evident in the work pro- duced by various workshops in Moscow and St. Petersburg. One produced sturdy silver everyday vessels using traditional techniques.
Continental Cane Collection Auction - 45
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