From around 1550 to 1930, canes were a dressing accessory without which a lady or gentleman, properly dressed, would never leave the house. However their use went out of fashion after this, leaving the market to collectors.
For a collector, the main interest lies in the handle, which could be made of wood, bamboo, ebony, ivory, tusk, animal horn, or bone. Sometimes they were made out of porcelain, Bakelite, gold, silver, or glass; enameled or cloisonnéd; or sprinkled with precious gemstones. The height of good taste was a gold handle with minmal decoration, as silver handles were despised by
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the wealthier classes. However silver handled canes have survived in large numbers, and exhibit a wide variety of decorative treatment, from the comparatively plain, armorial or regimental style to the more flamboyant excesses of Art Nouveau.
Carved handles can be found depicting grotesque animal or human forms, and are highly prized nowadays. Also keenly sought are multi-purpose canes, with a concealed spirit flask, tobacco pipe or even a tiny fire-arm for personal safety.
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A walking stick was an integral part of every well dressed man's wardrobe in the nineteenth century, and his collection of walking-sticks were probably kept just inside the hall in a stand, sharing space with umbrellas.
Walking-sticks and canes derive from the cudgels and staves carried for defence, evolving into dress accessories topped with silver or ivory, with a ferrule at the point to cut down wear. Many had elaborately carved heads. Sometimes these unscrewed to reveal space for a snuff box or other article. About 200 ancillary accessories are known to have been incorporated into walking
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sticks, the best known being the sword. Sword sticks date back to the sixteenth century, and often the sword just slides out with the stick acting as a sheath. Other sword and knife designs had a spring mechanism and would release on the press of a button or lever.
Other sticks pull apart, revealing a dagger with a handle for the left hand, and a stick with a blade for the right hand. Two steel blades sliding into the shaft from each end probably represent duelling weapons. The poacher's gun was a simple weapon in the shape of a walking stick; more sophisticated was a six-barrelled revolver, exposed by pressure on a trigger-spring that expelled part of the cane, and which had a dagger in the centre of the barrels.
Most extravagant was the machine-gun in a rectangular cane. "The kit", as it was 'known, was a pocket violin; this was developed into a violin fitted into a cane with a two-inch (5cm) diameter. Other canes contained music-boxes, harmonicas, flutes, piccolos, pipes (including opium pipes), vesta boxes, cigarette holders, candles, battery torches (dating from as early as 1882), contraceptives, poison, and a whole tribe of canes known as working companions (scalpels for doctors, small spades for botanists, safety lamps for miners). Among the most curious is the voyeur's cane with a mirror above the ferrule enabling the user to look up women's skirts.
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An ivory 'three friends' wrist rest, 19th century, naturalistically carved in the form of a hollowed section of a pine trunk, the gnarled convex surface with a branch of pine needles, flowering prunus and bamboo canes in high relief extending over the…
A late Victorian silver, ivory and malacca cane walking stick, the approximate T-form ivory handle with decorative embossed silver cap ends and fitting to the tapered malacca shaft, engraved 'W.S.' reputedly a presentation upon the achievement of becoming…
Ivory, whale bone & tortoiseshell walking stick having an ivory twist handle, with a whalebone cane with tortoiseshell inlay throughout. Condition, good to fair, some loose inlay, length, 84 cm
Old Ivory cane with brass ferule and silver cap with early hand engraved initials. The cap has possibly been lacquered and there is some minor repairs to cane, approx 90 cm long
A 19th century ivory cane, with a faceted foliate engraved binchbeck mount to the top, above two holes for a cord strap, metal mount to the tip, (natural age hairlines to the ivory, wear and dents to the pinchbeck mount), 94 cm wide
A gentleman's walking cane with silver repousse top, engraved to the top 'D.A Rang Wala', with buckle band on shaft engraved 'ADE' in script. Silver is unmarked. Height 88 cm
A fine antique whale bone walking cane, 19th century, the heavy cane with a spiral twist relief carved motif to the length with a crossed hatched upper section to a brass ferrule, the handle of turned whale tooth and having a compressed spherical screw…
Marine ivory carved rosewood walking cane depicting a clenched fist holding a viper with a rope twist cuff. Condition good, age related wear. Length 92 cm
English hallmarked sterling silver topped hard wood walking cane London, 1919, maker Wf. Condition good to fair, wear to the handle, loss to the base. Length 91 cm
A German Art Nouveau silver mounted Guiana Snakewood walking cane, circa 1900, the 800 silver handle depicting a recumbent mermaid supported by waves, the tapered shaft with silver ferrule, probably made in Schwabisch Germany, approximate weight of handle…
An antique Narwhal tusk and silver walking cane, later 19th century, the cane of traditional tapering form and brass capped to the base, a turban style handle in possibly walrus ivory, the sterling silver collar with inscription dated 1883. Length 85 cm
Walking Stick Cum Horse Measuring Rule, cane walking stick with metal handle engraved 'E.J.Barton', the handle pulls out to reveal a ruler for measuring the height of horses, with scales in hands, inches & metric, made by 'Ashford, Maker to the Queen'.…
An English walking cane, by Jonathan Howell of Henry Howell & Co, circa 1921, the burrwood shaft terminating in silver collar and carved parrot form handle, retailed by J.L.Caldwell Philadelphia
Three walking canes, one with Indian silver mounts. One with engraved silver mounts, maker 'Kingston & Co', engraved 'Hal From Fred, Xmas '98'. One with engraved handle, hallmarked Birmingham 1885. Approx 84 cm, 97 cm & 102 cm long (3)
Three walking canes. One with gilt metal mount, one with silver top with engraved decoration, one with engraved silver top hallmarked Birmingham 1888. Approx 95 cm, 95 cm & 114 cm (3)
Three sterling silver topped walking canes, all with engraved decoration, hallmarked London 1901 maker WHR, Birmingham 1876 maker Sydney & Company, one unmarked, approx 80 cm to 90 cm long (3)
A Victorian horn and silver walking cane, 1888 Birmingham, with maker's mark WM, the tapering malacca cane shaft with a scrolled silver ferrule surmounted by a cream brown mottled bone handle well carved with a pair of mice; hallmarked. Length 85 cm
A French ivory handled Pointing stick, late 19th century, having a smooth tapering ivory handle terminating in a relief carved floral spray enclosing a monogram, the cane proper made of noduled bamboo with a carved point. Length 65 cm