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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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…
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
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
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…
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 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
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
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
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…
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 whalebone cane, the shaft with metal ferrule the top with four marine ivory discs and five horn discs, a small silver plate cartouche with dog to the front, handle absent. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection. Length 83 cm
A short whalebone cane, the shaft with metal ferrule, the marine ivory handle in the form of a dog's head, glass eyes and engraved silver collar. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection. Length 66 cm
An old horn walking cane, cylindrical sections made to simulate bamboo, threaded on a steel rod, the handle of a stylised dog's head, metal ferrule. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection. Length 84 cm
A whalebone and ivory walking cane, the shaft of alternating plain and patterned bone sections, terminating in a wide silver collar and spherical ivory handle. Length 88 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
A lady's silver topped whalebone walking cane, the fine tapering whalebone shaft terminating in a small silver plate collar, decoratively carved ivorine section and an engraved silver handle. Length 85 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
An ivory handled Malacca cane walking stick, the cane shaft terminating in a turned ivory handle with a carved garter collar, the shaft with large ivory ferrule. Length 87 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
A Malacca and Anglo-Indian cane, the shaft terminating in a heavily embossed Indian silver handle. Length 93 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
A French porcelain handled cane, the tapering ebonised wood shaft terminating in a French porcelain handle decorated with one of the muses (music), embellished in gilt on a pink ground. Length 94 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
A quality 19th century carved ivory greyhound handled walking stick, glass set eyes, fine detail, the substantial later 9ct. rose gold mount with elaborate scroll engraving (17.7gm.), fitted to an old malacca cane shaft.
A walking cane with stylised S.E. Asian dragon head finial, carved in ivory (very slight losses) fixed with a horn collar to a slender tapering ebony shaft. Length 91 cm
A Colonial walking cane and a cane with a Dog's head handle, early 20th century, and later, an Indian Lucknow, style cane with a silver-plated pommel handle, relief cast with scenes of village life, and a modern brass mounted wooden stick with a striking,…
A sterling silver mounted walking cane with a telescopic handle, 1907 London, with maker's mark for J. Howell & Co, cane and stick, manufacturers, old Street London Ec, of classic 'T' shape, the handle with engraved silver mounts, leather, covering and an…