Brigg, who excelled and became one of the leading cane retailers of his day, obviously overlooked the im- pact of Carl Fabergé and the potential of figural hard stone canes. He entered into a partnership with Betaille in France and opened a branch in Paris quite late. This cane is much more in the continental style than in the British taste, and it may illustrate the path of finesse and elegance Brigg took during his short-lived stay in Paris. Today, Briggs is a landmark for serious cane collectors everywhere. That said, it is charming, a first-rate collectible, highly appealing, and flawless. Sourced in a European private collection where it has been for three decades, this cane enjoys the desirable provenance of having initially belonged to Princess Olga Karadjordjevic (1903–1997) of the Serbian Royal Family. H. 2” x 2”, O.L. 37 ¼”
$3,500 -$5,000
Rutile quartz is an energizing gemstone, giving you the strength to tackle new projects, complex challenges, and seemingly insurmountable adversity. Not just physical and mental determination, but also the clear-head- edness to confront and deal with any issues that lie in your way. On an emotional level, rutile quartz can help with feelings of guilt, stress, and loneliness, enabling you to recognize these sentiments and then overcome them. While inclusions often reduce a crystal's value, rutilated quartz is valued for the quality and beauty of its inclusions. Hard stone knobs and handles are notoriously tricky to capture in pictures. The more transparent they are, the more difficult it becomes to seize their magic and put it on paper. Another challenge is to render their character, and here the lack of color is an additional and imminent problem. To give these little marvels the cleanest possible representation, we choose plain backgrounds with no distracting details and provide an environment for the subject that doesn't interfere with its proper shape, form, or texture. Typically, the main goal when photographing transparent knobs and handles is to make them stand out from the background so that viewers can easily see them. A background’s tonality determines how you go about making the subject stand out. A light background and a dark background require entirely different techniques.By aiming your key light behind the subject and into the background, you make the subject itself appear illuminated. These pictures show the difference between lighting the subject and lighting the background.
Continental Cane Collection Auction - 57
Made with FlippingBook flipbook maker