Swiss Hiking Cane

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Masterpiece Cane Auction

By Kimball Sterling

May 24, 2025

Set Reminder 2025-05-24 11:00:00 2025-05-24 11:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Masterpiece Cane Auction https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/kimball-sterling/masterpiece-cane-auction-19479
A European Masterpiece Cane Auction Kimball Sterling kimballsterling@earthlink.net

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• Lot Description
  Dated 1940 Crafted from a substantial, hardwood branch, freed from its bark, it features a straight, plain handle that extends seamless into a longer, naturally knobby part. Robust and hexagonal, the plain paneled handle is topped by two eyelets and engraved with the elegant and bold letters “NIEDROSCH / ERSINGEN / NEUCHATEL / SOUVENIR / DE SUISSE/ 1940,” while the knobby part is carved in high relief with a coiling, scaled snake alternating with a tendril and recurring leafage. The cane ends with an iron ferrule. Commissioned at one of the many resthouses along a hiking trail in the Emmental region of the Canton of Bern, the cane has aged beautifully. Over time, the initial varnish has developed a distinctive and emphatic yellowish tint. The upright snake with a forked tongue is particularly unusual for this type of cane, which typically only displays the names of the destinations visited. This feature is likely a unique and costly addition for the owner, who probably took pride in being a physician. H. 7 ½” x 1 ½”, O.L. 36 ¾” $200-$300 In some Alpine resorts in Switzerland and other areas, providing canes for visitors was and still is common. You can customize these canes to some extent on-site. Additionally, special orders, like here, were available, with a guarantee of delivery to your final destination within a few days. There is no need to say that nature helped provide the wood for such canes. These were harvested and prepared on long winter days to be ready for the start of the season in the spring. In Switzerland, Stone Pine and Sycamore, like in this example, were the most common. Hiking in the Alps is a dream for many people, and it’s easy to understand why. Many resorts have stunning snow-capped peaks, beautiful valleys, and clear lakes, making them ideal places for a walking adventure. These canes delivered support during the walks and, capturing and recording such hiking experiences, were gladly taken home as trophies. On the backdrop, Wanderer above the Sea of Fog, a painting by German Romanticist artist Caspar David Friedrich made in 1818. It depicts a man standing upon a rocky precipice with his back to the viewer; he is gazing out on a landscape covered in a thick sea of fog through which other ridges, trees, and mountains pierce, which stretches out into the distance indefinitely. It has been considered one of the masterpieces of the Romantic movement and one of its most representative works.
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