THE
FIRST FASHION ACCESSORY
A Brief History
We're talking about walking sticks, that fashion essential
of royals, Edwardians and Victorians, symbols of authority in the 17th century,
and today a very hot collectible.
Homo Sapiens’ first cane was a tree branch, used to stabilize
him while walking and climbing and also to for defence. Since then, walking
sticks have been used for both decoration and practicality almost continually through out history.
Through the ages, canes represented many different symbols
of power, faith, and magic until their evolution into a fashion accessory in
the 16th century. During the height of the 18th and 19th centuries, the style
of canes was shaped by changing social and economic conditions. To study these
talismans is to gain an insight into the cultures and societies that valued
them.
The word ‘cane’ comes from ancient times when
the shafts of most canes were constructed of bamboo and other rattans of the
cane family. Cane became the mostly widely used material to make walking
sticks, evolving later into the generic name for the product.
In ancient
Egypt everyone from royalty to peasants used
a cane. These ancient sticks and staffs, now displayed in museums worldwide,
were often carved and decorated elaborately. Their shape and form dictated
whether the owner was a shepherd, soldier, dignitary, priest, Pharaoh, or even
a god. It was thought that a walking stick placed next to the mummy in a coffin
would help the deceased on his travels after death and resurrection. These
walking sticks were also used to identify the status of the deceased within
their society for afterlife identification. King Tutankhamen had no less than
132 sticks buried with him.
It was during the 16th century that the walking stick was
widely accepted an accessory of elegance and social prominence among the
aristocracy. Special etiquette dictated the use of the cane during this period
and walking sticks were not allowed in the presence of the king.
During that time in Europe,
a king's power came to be symbolized by the sceptre carried in the right hand,
while a second staff known as the "Hand of Justice" was carried in
the left. These were shown in public to demonstrate their readiness to punish
and their power to reward.
King Henry VII of England
carried a multi-purpose cane finished in gold which contained a perfume
dispenser in the top, a pair of tweezers, two compasses of gold, a foot rule of
gold, a knife and a file, and a "haft" of gold.
In the 18th century, when France dominated the decorative
arts, the walking stick was a requisite of the fashionable dress. Louis XIV was
never seen in public without his cane, and his court jeweller actually
fashioned one stick for him with twenty-four diamonds.
When King Louis XIV died in 1715, a new style began to emerge as the grandeur
of the Baroque softened into a more feminine style, called Rococo. Rococo
showed a true spirit of independence, including a new found willingness to mix
curvilinear and asymmetrical forms. The canes typical of this era depicted
nature, replete with flora and fauna.
By
the middle of the 18th century, the Rococo
style was beginning to cause a strong reaction by critics who thought this
style too extravagant. The critics demanded a return to a noble, more sober
Classicism. The classical notions of order, restraint, and balance gradually
took the place of the carefree flamboyancy of the Rococo style. Walking sticks
became more stable and simple with emphasis on the calm, steady line.
In America,
the pure and modest appearance of canes reflected the conservatism that
Americans embraced following the outbreak of the American Revolution. National pride caused the eagle to remain
extremely popular on the walking stick through the mid-19th century. The custom
of presenting sticks was a mark of individual esteem and admiration.
General
Washington received one of Benjamin Franklin's canes constructed of
crab-tree wood with a gold head in the form of a cap of liberty. The bust cane
became a popular item among the elite and sticks proliferated topped with heads
of presidents and rulers.
Victorian
walking sticks
were a part of the "correct" attire of the elegantly dressed
gentleman, who would change a cane as often as they changed their clothes. By
the late 19th century, the Victorian influence had spread to the United States,
finding the fashionable American gentleman in possession of several canes for
different occasions and social events. These walking sticks typically had
simple gold or silver mushroom handles and were rather mundane in appearance.
Time
was you were undressed without a cane.
Canes
were the first fashion accessory.
Shops specializing in walking sticks began to flourish as canes were designed
by such world renowned artists as Tiffany
in America, Faberge in Russia,
Thomas Brigg & Sons of England, Magasin
Antoine of Paris, and the Meyers family in Hamburg
and Berlin.
In Victorian
England, there were some 60 shops devoted to canes in London; today there is but one.
During the 20th
century the cane lost its popularity among the well-dressed, and came to be
used by those whose age and health required them or by hikers and climbers.
The walking stick is today enjoying resurgence among collectors who cherish
their unique design and history. The modern collector will find several
different types of canes to choose from. Canes fall into four different
categories: ethnic, folk art, decorative, and gadget, or system, sticks.
Ethnic
sticks are canes that reflect, through their design or ornamentation,
the culture of a group or a particular race or religion.
Folk
art sticks
came out of a desire for self-expression. These canes were made mostly from the
materials which could be easily obtained in an artist's natural environment.
Woodworkers decorated their wooden sticks with intricate hand carvings. During
the great age of whaling in the 19th century, scrimshaw canes were fashioned by
American sailors who spent their long hours at sea constructing sticks made of
baleen, whalebone vertebrae, and ivory from the teeth of marine mammals. If a
glass blower had left-over raw materials at the end of his work day, he would
challenge himself by making a cane made entirely of glass. Though beautiful and
decorative ornaments, these glass canes were rarely used due to their
fragility.
Decorative
sticks were frequently made from Malacca, the flexible, lightweight
stem of the East Indian rattan plant. Topping these artistic staffs were an
assortment of different handles including examples made of gold, silver, porcelain,
cloisonné', wood and ivory.
A Gadget Stick is called a "secret stick" when it has
a place in which to hide or store something. System sticks serve a dual
purpose, for example, they hold a weapon, or provide a device such as a rule,
telescope or a seat, even a violin! Sometimes they represent the rank,
function, or profession of the owner. Napoleonic France introduced the vogue of the
short, blunt-headed stick which was used as a receptacle for documents,
letters, secret dispatches, and favours.
Canes
Canada Inc. carries a wide selection of canes and walking sticks. Whether you are looking for a walking aid,
unique accessory, decorative or collectors item, take the time to check out our
entire product line at www.canescanada.com
and find out how you will,
Walk with a Smile and Walk In Style ®.
