Hard Stone Cockatiel Exotic Bird 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

  1910

  Fashioned of a selected piece of clear rutile quartz with glittering, needle-like, acicular inclusions, the knob is wheel cut to depict a cockatiel head with an erected feather crest and strong curving beak. The plumage is throughout micro-carved and shows well the facial feathers with a superb circular arrangement around blue sapphire cabochons, eyes in gold wire framing.

  The lapidary artist took his art to a significant level by lending the exotic bird’s head a semi-frosted finish that emphasizes the feather's fine detail and imparts it a gentle warmth. In contrast, he polished its beak and eyelids to endow it with a lovely sparkle.

  The knob comes with a slightly tapering, wide, and plain 18 karat yellow gold collar marked "BRIGG,” besides a complete set of slightly rubbed London hallmarks, including a square-shaped “P” with cut corners for 1910, followed by a totally obscured maker's mark on a high-grade and well-figured snake wood shaft and matched long horn ferrule.

  The refinement and delicacy of this cane are the fruit of the exceptional knowledge of highly skilled artists, giving them the virtue of being timeless works of art.

  Brigg, who excelled and became one of the leading cane retailers of his day, obviously overlooked the impact of Carl Fabergé and the potential of figural hard stone canes. He entered into a partnership with Betaille in France and opened a branch in Paris quite late. This cane is much more in the continental style than in the British taste, and it may illustrate the path of finesse and elegance Brigg took during his short-lived stay in Paris. Today, Briggs is a landmark for serious cane collectors everywhere.

  That said, it is charming, a first-rate collectible, highly appealing, and flawless. Sourced in a European private collection where it has been for three decades, this cane enjoys the desirable provenance of having initially belonged to Princess Olga Karadjordjevic (1903–1997) of the Serbian Royal Family.

  H. 2” x 2”, O.L. 37 ¼”

  $3,5000 -$5,000

  Rutile quartz is an energizing gemstone, giving you the strength to tackle new projects, complex challenges, and seemingly insurmountable adversity. Not just physical and mental determination, but also the clear-headedness to confront and deal with any issues that lie in your way. On an emotional level, rutile quartz can help with feelings of guilt, stress, and loneliness, enabling you to recognize these sentiments and then overcome them.

  While inclusions often reduce a crystal's value, rutilated quartz is valued for the quality and beauty of its inclusions.

  Hard stone knobs and handles are notoriously tricky to capture in pictures. The more transparent they are, the more difficult it becomes to seize their magic and put it on paper. Another challenge is to render their character, and here the lack of color is an additional and imminent problem.

  To give these little marvels the cleanest possible representation, we choose plain backgrounds with no distracting details and provide an environment for the subject that doesn't interfere with its proper shape, form, or texture.

  Typically, the main goal when photographing transparent knobs and handles is to make them stand out from the background so that viewers can easily see them. A background’s tonality determines how you go about making the subject stand out. A light background and a dark background require entirely different techniques.

  By aiming your key light behind the subject and into the background, you make the subject itself appear illuminated.

  These pictures show the difference between lighting the subject and lighting the background.

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