Collectable antler, horn and horn mounted walking sticks
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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Canes
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 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
Walking stick made from shark cartilage, horn, iron and wood, identical to one in the Queen Victoria Museum, Launceston, said to be used to thrash convicts
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 vintage walking stick, the shaft comprising of shark vertebrae, the silver plate handle in the form of a horse?s head, horn and brass ferrell to base. Length 35 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 large and impressive ebony and silver handled Indian presentation walking stick, the tapered handle with repousse traditional figures within scrolling cartouches, presentation inscribed 'Col. Eliott' (Colonel Eliott), the long wide tapered shaft of good…
A vintage walking stick, the bamboo shaft terminating in a carved head of a parrot with silver feather embellishment, glass eyes and horn beak, brass ferrule.
An antler handled mahogany walking stick, the shaft terminating in an antler handle carved in the form of a long beaked creature, a silver collar engraved 'ORPHEUS, 7.2.1863'. Length 91 cm. Provenance: The Flower Family Collection.
A 19th century walking stick, the handle in the form of a bird head made from small steel balls with plaited steel collar, the beak carved in horn, glass eyes, the shaft of an exotic hardwood with slight zebra graining, length 90 cm.
A group of four Australian walking sticks including rare Tasmanian specimens wood stick, a folk art possibly Aboriginal stockman cedar stick with carved snake engraved William Fisher and two fiddleback blackwood sticks, one with antler handle, longest 103…
Walking stick sword an Edwardian walking stick with horn handle, wooden shaft and concealed short sword with makers marks on the blade unidentifiable. Complete with silver fittings. Length 89 cm
Walking stick sword a very fine example of a mid-Victorian, style walking stick with hidden sword blade, polished horn handle, silver finial, cap and embellishments. Makers marks unidentifiable due to wear.
Bamboo walking stick sword likely 18th century, having an ivory handle carved in the form of a man's head with floppy cap and fitted with a horn collar. Having un- marked silver and brass finials. Blade not marked. Length 92.5 cm.
A good 19th century whalebone walking stick, the plain tapered shaft with bands of horn below the tapered octagonal sperm whale's tooth handle, length 91.5 cm
A superb whalebone walking stick, early 19th century carved from a single piece of bone, inlaid with tortoise shell, mother of pearl, baleen and horn very impressive weight and handsome proportions 97 cm long
A superb late 19th century African rhinoceros horn walking stick of knobkerrie form. The long tapered shaft of rich honey brown patina and brass ferrule. Weight 328g. The horn comes with a witnessed affidavit stating the family provenance of the horn.…