Walking Stick
1600-1700 (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
Walking sticks, as well as having a practical function, added an air of authority and dignity to a gentleman's appearance. Their use is thought to derive from the practice of carrying a sword, and from the 16th century they became a popular fashion accessory. Early walking sticks, like this one, stood above hand-height (whereas most 19th-century examples were significantly shorter). Some walking sticks also had secret compartments, which could conceal items such as weapons, money, games or perfumed pomanders.
This stick is essentially a decorative cane. Its shaft and knob are inlaid with mother-of-pearl in square, circle and trefoil shapes, surrounded by scrolling foliage completed in wire inlay. Bands of chased metal with moresque strapwork alternate with the areas of inlay, adding to the richness of the design. It unscrews in the middle, enabling it to be stored or transported more easily.
This stick is essentially a decorative cane. Its shaft and knob are inlaid with mother-of-pearl in square, circle and trefoil shapes, surrounded by scrolling foliage completed in wire inlay. Bands of chased metal with moresque strapwork alternate with the areas of inlay, adding to the richness of the design. It unscrews in the middle, enabling it to be stored or transported more easily.
Object details
| Categories | |
| Object type | |
| Parts | This object consists of 2 parts.
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| Materials and techniques | Wood inlaid with metal wire and mother-of-pearl; gilded and chased metal |
| Brief description | Walking stick of wood, inlaid with wire and mother of pearl, possibly made in the Netherlands, probably 1600-1700 |
| Physical description | Walking stick of wood, possibly ash or pearwood. Inlaid with piqué work of metal (brass?) wire and mother-of-pearl in round, square and trifoliate shapes. In two sections, joining at a steel screw thread connector with a gilded metal collar chased with moresque ornament. With three pinned metal collars with stylised leaf ornament. Timber - possibly ash or pearwood? |
| Dimensions |
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| Object history | Acquired from Sir J. C. Robinson as part of a larger collection of objects. Acquired as sixteenth century, but subsequent research suggests the walking stick is likley to have been made in the seventeenth century (note the acanthus leaf collars). A nineteenth century date cannot be ruled out. |
| Historical context | PINTO, Edward H.: Treen and other Wooden Bygones. (London, 1969), p. 28 From the 16th century, if not earlier, men of fashion, when having to move among the masses, carried sticks with a pouncet box knob - that is, a hollow knob, with a gold or silver outer cover and a perforated inner one, containing a sponge soaked in aromatic vinegar. It was really a stick with a built-in pomander, designed to ward off evil and diseases. Sometimes a second cavity, concealed below the pouncet box, was used for carrying money. Woods commonly used for walking sticks: ash (and boxwood for ornately carved examples). |
| Summary | Walking sticks, as well as having a practical function, added an air of authority and dignity to a gentleman's appearance. Their use is thought to derive from the practice of carrying a sword, and from the 16th century they became a popular fashion accessory. Early walking sticks, like this one, stood above hand-height (whereas most 19th-century examples were significantly shorter). Some walking sticks also had secret compartments, which could conceal items such as weapons, money, games or perfumed pomanders. This stick is essentially a decorative cane. Its shaft and knob are inlaid with mother-of-pearl in square, circle and trefoil shapes, surrounded by scrolling foliage completed in wire inlay. Bands of chased metal with moresque strapwork alternate with the areas of inlay, adding to the richness of the design. It unscrews in the middle, enabling it to be stored or transported more easily. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | 154:1, 2-1879 |
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| Record created | September 11, 2008 |
| Record URL |
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