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 vintage malacca cane and bone walking stick, the lower handle of plain turned tapered cylindrical bone section, brass collar to the malacca cane shaft. Length 91 cm.
A Victorian all ivory walking stick, assembled in ten screw pieces, with cane carved shaft, the ivory handle carved as elephant head and lion head. Length 89 cm.
An impressive walking cane with gold cap engraved 'J.S.N. of Lethane', with carved snake chasing a frog, housed in original fitted case, 19th century, 92 cm high
A late 19th century ivory and silver gilt walking cane the shaft of slim proportions and featuring a small finely decorated hallmarked silver top, length 94 cm
Pair of gold handled canes, mark of C&S., c. 1900, each ebonised tapering stick with 18 carat yellow gold capped handle (2), length 90 cm. Provenance: The Collection of Janet and Graeme Webb, Wollogorang, NSW
Vintage sterling silver capped walking cane cap marked sterling for Hardy Brothers, monogrammed, to wooden walking stick, with brass ferrule to base, length 90 cm.
A c.1900 ivory and silver handled malacca cane walking stick, the tapered handle with raised knobbly effect, scroll decorated silver band and cap end showing some distress. Hallmarked London 1891. Length 90 cm.
Two French bamboo shooting sticks, early 20th century, with brass hardware, one with cane seat (2), height 88 cm, 92 cm. Provenance: The Estate of Martyn Cook, Sydney
Walking stick sword an Edwardian gentlemen's rattan cane walking stick with silver fittings. Maker Henry Tracy & Sons London assayed 1921. Having engraving (Leb 1927). Blade showing stamps France 5.
An early 20th century silver and ivory English walking cane with dog head hand set with glass eyes, silver collar with marks rubbed, length 86 cm, missing bottom tip
A 19th century whalebone walking cane, plain tapered form, inlaid at the handle with diamonds of black lip mother-of-pearl shell. Length 76.5 cm. Provenance: The H.N.E Sheppard Estate Collection.
Rare Swaine & Adeney London walking cane with included horse measurement gauge, measured in hands on internal extendable wooden rod, with an included brass measuring balance, all included within a cane walking stick, length 94 cm.
Cane c.1890 Ashford, Maker to the Queen walking stick cum horse measuring rule with metal handle engraved 'E.J. Barton', the handle extends to reveal a ruler for measuring the height of horses, with scales in hands, inches & metric; also two riding crops.…
Two silver mounted walking canes, 19th century and later, one with a sterling silver top hallmarked Birmingham 1898, the other with a handle modelled as a silvered parrot, the longest cane 92 cm
Early Australian lady's silver topped walking cane silver topped cap of a woman's figure, with engraving: 'Park Street, Sydney' length 88 cm. No makers mark, inscribed T. Teleford Priora 48 & 50 Park St Sydney.
Art Nouveau walking cane the s/p handle formed as a sinuous female form, the tapering wooden handle in 3 screw in sections, the central section with a propelling pencil (faults)
A collection of five silver and metal capped walking canes, first half 20th century, comprising two silver topped walking canes with scrolled decoration, London, 190, one London, 1929 by Henry Thomas & Co, and three other metal topped canes, the largest…
A collection of bent wood walking sticks and walking canes, including a silver mounted horn handled walking cane, comprising fifteen pieces, the longest 92 cm
A collection of walking sticks and canes, including a silver mounted 'Bohemian Club Reward' walking stick, and specimens of fiddleblack blackwood and macassar ebony, comprising fifteen pieces, the longest 93 cm
A collection of sterling silver pommel handled walking canes with various inscriptions, including one by John Henry Rawlings, London, 1889, comprising eight pieces, the longest cane 93 cm long
A collection of five silver handled walking canes, 19th century and later, one decorated with two dog heads and a buckle, one of an owl, one marked London, 1909 by J Howell & Co and one marked London 1885, the longest 92 cm
A semi-precious gem set carved ivory elephant handled walking cane, Indian, late 19th century, the stick ebonised with a gilded plate engraved 'D. Packett Moulden', 92 cm
A copper mounted thornwood walking stick with a snuff compartment and spirit flask segment, together with another cane and walking stick, the largest 89 cm long
Early 20th century camera tripod walking cane, marked Ica.Akt-Ges Dresden, with crooked handle and silver collar and base, the shaft opening into a camera tripod, in an ebonised finish
Early 20th century Ashford walking stick, marked 'Ashford - maker to the Queen' to brass collar, featuring a bamboo cane with antler handle, total length 94 cm
A c1900 horn handled walking stick, the Malacca cane tapered shaft with engraved silver plate ferrule and tapered curved fibrous horn handle. Length 85.5 cm.
A c.1900 Eastern silver and Malacca cane walking stick, possibly Chinese, the large silver knob handle embossed with rural village scene and figure, engraved 'Compliments of C & M October 1907', a belt with buckle mount below. Length 93 cm.
American gold rush 14k California gold quartz walking cane, with presentation inscription, to our beloved father Michael Lyons, from Catharine Cornelious, San Francisco, May 1875, Dented on side end of handle. Length 94 cm
An ivory and silver topped bamboo walking cane. The slightly tapering cane, with sterling silver collar rubbed hallmarks, brass capped to the base. Length 91 cm
A silver-plated topped cane walking stick, late 19th century the fiddleback blackwood cane with good patina, a shaped silver-plated pommel handle with a frieze and floral motifs ; no marks but with engraved initials and date, 1889. Length 88 cm
Jeffrey Hillpig-Smyth British East India cane marked on brass plate 'Sir Jefferey Hillpig-Smyth 1941 British East India,' wooden walking cane length 92 cm