Page 136 - 87-BOOK2

LOT 1138
Elaborate Relief Carved
Bacchus Bust Cane Marked
Antoine, Palais Royal - 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. This
specific cane appears to be one
intended for a woman due to its
slender form. 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
and bunches of grapes. Dionysus/ Bacchus was the god of the grape- harvest, winemaking, orchards and
fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity,
and ritual madness. There is a blank
oval escutcheon carved on the front below the bust. The ornate grip is
fitted to a slender, springy Malacca
shaft that is marked “ANTOINE/PALAIS ROYAL”, a business established in Paris
in 1745 that was known for the sale of some of the finest umbrellas and canes
in the city. They were located at their Palais Royal locations from 1760 to 1886. The shaft is tipped with brass and iron. It measures 39 inches overall.
CONDITION: Very fine overall, the grip showing some scattered hairline age- related cracks and otherwise minimal handling evidence, mild wear revealing
a lighter finish on the upper portion of
the shaft from regular handling, with otherwise minimal handling marks. A truly masterfully carved piece!
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000
134
LOT 1139
Attractive Relief Carved “Hand Holding Ball” 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 is decidedly not of middle class origin however, and was almost certainly the possession of someone in the upper echelons of society.
The grip has been masterfully relief carved in the form of a hand grasping the ball, the hand having a decidedly feminine look, and a buttoned cuff visible on the wrist. There is a spiraled rope band carved where the grip joins the shaft. The shaft is made of up sections of smooth antique ivory that gives a similar appearance to bamboo, and there appears to be a metal core down the center. The shaft is tipped with brass. It measures
37 inches overall.
CONDITION: Very fine overall with some hairline age cracks scattered throughout and otherwise minimal handling evidence. A unique and beautifully carved cane!
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000
LOT 1140
Attractive Relief
Carved “Fox and the
Grapes” Cane - For
over five centuries, canes
have been a vessel of
projecting wealth and
power, though probably never
more prominent than
in the 18th and 19th
centuries, when they
reached the pinnacle
of their popularity. This
piece is certainly a prime
example of that, the grip
being masterfully relief
carved. The grip has been
beautifully carved with a fox
looking longingly up at a grape
vine, a homage to the tale from
Aesop’s fables regarding “the fox
and the grapes”, an educational
story warning of the dangers of
envy. On the lower portion of the
grip is a scrimshawed monogram,
likely that of the original owner,
that appears to be either “MI”
or “HI”. The grip is joined to the
shaft by an 18K gold band with
the maker’s mark of Alexander
Crichton (c. 2nd half of the 19th
century). The thin springy shaft is
ebonized and tipped with light horn.
It measures 38 1/4 inches overall. CONDITION: Fine, the grip having a few minuscule chips absent from the more delicate edges and showing an attractive lightly aged appearance overall. The shaft is excellent with minimal handling
evidence overall.
Estimate: 2,000 - 3,000