Anglo Colonial Parade Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction 2026

By Kimball Sterling

Jan 3, 2026

Set Reminder 2026-01-03 11:00:00 2026-01-03 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction 2026 https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-2026-21759
Masterpiece Cane auction is all from a Europeon collection. We offer items from this private collection about once a year, Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description

  Ca. 1880

  Substantial jade handle, fashioned of selected material, displaying a beautiful, consistent, cloudy structure with the characterizing translucent pale hues. It shows the typical proportions of that region, including the broad hand rest with a short neck, one side with a raised tip, and the other with an inward-curving, large coil. 

  Delicately engraved smooth foliate patterns, consisting of sprays and curls, provide a sense of sophistication and enhance the handle’s aesthetic appeal. These engravings also improve tactile interaction, offering better ergonomic feedback to the user.

  As if that alone isn't enough, the handle features a heavy, beautifully tapered silver shaft that is entirely hand-chased and engraved with an elegant twisting coil of two plain bands alternating with two others decorated with repeating laurel leaf patterns. It separates into two threaded parts for safe storage. Each part begins with matched, integral collars of vertically arranged laurel leaves. 

  A pure indulgence in the flavors of the legendary Mughal Empire, this cane is part of a distinguished series of honorific gifts, once reserved for esteemed guests and individuals of outstanding merit on special occasions. As one of the finest of its kind, it has been cherished and has withstood the passage of time in impeccable condition.

  The engraving of hard stones was a primary luxury art form in the ancient world, and an important one in later periods. The working of these stones, along with the working of more precious gemstones, is usually considered part of the glyptic art.

  To sum up, the confluence of creativity, craftsmanship, and cultural importance in hardstone carving is truly captivating. Whether it's a jade cane handle with a complex pattern or a gemstone walking stick knob with delicate carving, these items never fail to attract fans worldwide. 

  Jade has held a position of reverence and paramount importance in human culture for thousands of years. The value of jade is based on three essential criteria: color, translucency, and texture. Color is by far the most critical factor, and takes into account saturation, brilliance, evenness, and purity. Jade can be found in lavender, yellow, russet-brown, and black, but the green stone containing chromium is the most coveted by serious collectors.

  One of these is Diospyros quaesita Thwaites, from Sri Lanka. The name “calamander” comes from the local Sinhalese name kalu-medhiriya, meaning “dark chamber,” referring to the characteristic ebony-black wood. 

  It is used in furniture, luthiery, high-grade canes, and walking sticks. Calamander has been logged to extinction over the last two to three hundred years and is no longer available for new work in any quantity. Furniture made of calamander is so expensive and well-maintained that even recycling it is unlikely.

  Because of its strategic location along trade routes between Western Europe and Asia, as well as between Scandinavia and the Byzantine and Islamic Near East, Russia drew on many cultures and developed distinctive styles.

  It is not surprising that Russian jewels and enamels reflect the ornamental traditions of many cultures. 

  By the end of the 19th century, the rich layering of stylistic influences, accumulated over about three hundred years, had created overt tension between Moscow’s Russianness and St. Petersburg’s Europeanism.

  These different approaches to cultural heritage are evident in the production of various Moscow and St. Petersburg workshops. One made robust silver daily vessels using traditional Russian shapes, while the other created boxes, frames, and bell push with shimmering en-plein enamel in the French manner.

  H. 5” x 2”, O.L. 38 ¾”

  $1,200-$1,600

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