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LOT 95
Attractive Relief Carved Mythological Europa and the Bull Cane - Starting in the 16th century, canes and walking sticks became extremely popular, first among royalty and nobility, and by the 19th and 20th centuries having worked their way down to the middle classes as a symbol of status. This example appears to pull from one of the more popular themes of the period, Greek and Roman mythology. This particular cane represents the story of Europa and her seduction or rape by Zeus disguised as a
bull, depending on the telling of the tale. The L-shaped grip has been expertly carved in the form of Europa in distress, tied to the back of Zeus in the form of a running bull. The bull is fitted with small glass eyes. The grip is joined to the shaft by an engraved silver band with eight facets, which align with the smooth eight-faceted shaft of hardwood, that is tipped with German silver and iron. It measures 33 3/4 inches overall. This cane is described
and pictured on p. 12-15 of “Larry Mattson Collections: Carved Cane Handles 2021”. CONDITION: Fine overall, the grip showing an attractively aged tone and a few scattered hairline age cracks. The silver band shows
an attractively aged patina. The shaft is also fine with a few hairline age cracks and the tip shows some mild patina.
Provenance: Il Segno del Tempo, Milan; The Larry Mattson Collection.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000
LOT 96
Ornate Relief Carved Impatient Death Cane - The daily carry of canes reached the pinnacle of its popularity around the late-19th to early-20th centuries. They were more than
just a mobility tool, but rather an accessory with which one could publicly project their economic and social status. Popular motifs for canes evolved through the centuries; however, the Victorian era specifically saw an interesting relationship and curiosity surrounding death. The grip of this cane has been masterfully relief carved in the form of a shrouded skeleton representing Death with a snake coiled near his feet. The skeleton shows an impatient appearance with its arms folded, perhaps representing the postponement or cheating of
death by the original owner. The grip is joined to a bamboo shaft tipped with iron. It measures 35 inches overall. This
cane is pictured and described on p. 36-39 of “Larry Mattson Collections: Carved Cane Handles 2021”.
CONDITION: Fine, the grip showing an attractively aged tone and a few scattered hairline age cracks. The shaft is also very fine with some dark splotched coloration, retaining almost all of the varnish, and some faded red enamel on the tip. Provenance: Laurence Jantzen, Le Louvre des Antiquaires, Paris; The Larry Mattson Collection.
Estimate: 1,600 - 2,500
LOT 97
Exceptionally Attractive Relief Carved Dionysus/Bacchus Cane - Beginning in roughly the 1600s, canes began an evolution from a mobility aid to a status symbol, and by the late 18th and early 19th century reaching their final form as an accessory for projecting wealth and social status. At their peak, canes were
not only a popular accessory for upper class men, but both men and women from the middle class to the most exclusive upper echelons of society. The grip has been masterfully relief carved
in the form of a bust of the Greek and Roman god Dionysus or Bacchus, surrounded by leafy grape vines, a bunch of grapes around his neck, an ornate pedestal at the bottom, and hanging planter on the back. The top of the grip is formed into a large spherical shape. A buckled belt is carved at the lower edge of the grip where it meets the shaft. Dionysus/Bacchus was the god of the grape-harvest, wine making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, and ritual madness. Representations of the
god were very popular amongst the affluent of the period as a symbol of their lush and extravagant lifestyles. The thick shaft is of smooth Malacca and is tipped with a large antique ivory ferrule. It measures 35 1/2 inches overall.
CONDITION: Very fine, the grip showing an attractive, lightly aged tone with some hairline age cracks, primarily at the very top of the grip, and crisp carving
overall. The shaft is
also very fine with
some scattered light
handling marks,
scattered finish
crazing, and a few
minor cracks in the
ferrule.
Provenance: Laurence
Jantzen, Le Louvre des
Antiquaires, Paris;
The Larry Mattson
Collection.
Estimate: 2,250 - 3,500