Done
New York, NY, United States
Auction Details
The Eddi Van Auken Cane Collection
Vertical Art
To call Eddi Van Auken a cane collector is accurate albeit insufficient. She was a connoisseur of vertical treasures, a curator of craftsmanship, character, and provenance. Over a span of three decades, she assembled a singular collection of antique canes, each selected not merely for rarity or material (although there is no shortage of gold, silver, and gemstones among them). Rather, she collected objects that spoke to her: canes with stories, wit, elegance, and occasionally, secrets. From gentleman's accessories to jewelled marvels of engineering, the canes in this sale stand as a testament to Van Auken's discerning and delightfully unconventional eye. Each piece is a support and a statement, much like the remarkable woman who carried and cherished them.
Eddi Van Auken filled her San Francisco Bay Area home with her extraordinary collection, spurred by a tailbone injury that required a cane to walk. Discouraged by the clinical offerings at the pharmacy, she started a quest to find a more stylish option. The world that was opened to her was immense, and she would spend the next decades of her life researching and collecting canes. As her collection grew, she published a book Vertical Art featuring her collection, and was working on her second, Masterpieces, when she passed away in 2024.
Bonhams is pleased to present select highlights published in the book Vertical Art as an anthology of art, utility, and personality. We welcome you to step into the world of Eddi Van Auken, where canes sparkle with silver, whisper history, and walk with style, and to browse the sale where ornament meets authority and every piece tells a story.
To call Eddi Van Auken a cane collector is accurate albeit insufficient. She was a connoisseur of vertical treasures, a curator of craftsmanship, character, and provenance. Over a span of three decades, she assembled a singular collection of antique canes, each selected not merely for rarity or material (although there is no shortage of gold, silver, and gemstones among them). Rather, she collected objects that spoke to her: canes with stories, wit, elegance, and occasionally, secrets. From gentleman's accessories to jewelled marvels of engineering, the canes in this sale stand as a testament to Van Auken's discerning and delightfully unconventional eye. Each piece is a support and a statement, much like the remarkable woman who carried and cherished them.
Eddi Van Auken filled her San Francisco Bay Area home with her extraordinary collection, spurred by a tailbone injury that required a cane to walk. Discouraged by the clinical offerings at the pharmacy, she started a quest to find a more stylish option. The world that was opened to her was immense, and she would spend the next decades of her life researching and collecting canes. As her collection grew, she published a book Vertical Art featuring her collection, and was working on her second, Masterpieces, when she passed away in 2024.
Bonhams is pleased to present select highlights published in the book Vertical Art as an anthology of art, utility, and personality. We welcome you to step into the world of Eddi Van Auken, where canes sparkle with silver, whisper history, and walk with style, and to browse the sale where ornament meets authority and every piece tells a story.
Sold
0001: AN AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN JUGENDSTIL BLACK ONYX AND GOLD-PLATED SILVER CANE Designed and executed by D...Est. $5,000-$8,000
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0002: A CONTINENTAL GUILLOCHÉ ENAMEL AND CHASED 14K GOLD CANEProbably French, 19th centuryEst. $2,000-$3,000
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0003: A CONTINENTAL RUBY AND DIAMOND INSET ENAMELLED 15K GOLD AND AGATE SNAKE CANELate 19th centuryEst. $3,000-$5,000
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0004: A FRENCH EMERALD AND DIAMOND INSET BLOOMED 18K GOLD CANEDesigned and executed by Paul Frey, Pari...Est. $5,000-$8,000
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0005: A FRENCH ART NOUVEAU 800 STANDARD SILVER-GILT OVERLAY AGATE CANEMarked Cartier, Paris, circa 1890Est. $7,000-$9,000
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0006: A CONTINENTAL CARVED AGATE CAMEO INSET GOLD-PLATED STERLING SILVER OVERLAY BLACK ONYX ROCAILLE C...Est. $3,000-$5,000
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0007: A CONTINENTAL ART NOUVEAU PART GOLD-WASHED SILVER BERRY CANEDesigned and executed by Constant Di...Est. $3,000-$5,000
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0008: A RUSSIAN 18K GOLD OVERLAY AND GLASS-INSET CARVED EBONY DOG CANECirca 1900Est. $4,000-$6,000
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0009: A FRENCH ART NOUVEAU PARCEL 18K GOLD AND SILVER MOTHER EARTH CANEMarked Lalique, circa 1890Est. $2,000-$3,000
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0010: AN ITALIAN GRAND TOUR LAVA INSET 800 STANDARD SILVER PORTRAIT CANECirca 1870Est. $1,500-$2,000
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0011: A FRENCH ART NOUVEAU GILT BRONZE ALGAE CANEDesigned by Georges Le Turcq and executed by Bré...Est. $1,500-$2,000
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0012: AN ENGLISH ARTS AND CRAFTS 15K GOLD AND MOONSTONE INSET CARVED COW HORN LEAF WITH BUG CANEDesign...Est. $2,000-$3,000
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0013: A TURQUOISE INSET INCISED FINE SILVER OVERLAY TWISTED COW HORN CANEProbably American, circa 1890Est. $1,500-$2,000
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0014: AN AUSTRO-HUNGARIAN JUGENDSTIL LAPIS LAZULI INSET GOLD-PLATED SILVER CANEDesigned and executed b...Est. $5,000-$8,000
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0015: AN AUSTRIAN CUBIST EMERALD AND DIAMOND INSET 18K GOLD AND MALACHITE CANEDesigned and executed by...Est. $5,000-$7,000
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0016: AN AUSTRIAN ART DECO MALACHITE INSET STERLING SILVER CANEDesigned and executed by Eduard Josef W...Est. $3,000-$5,000
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0017: A FRENCH ART NOUVEAU AMETHYST, 18K ROSE GOLD, AND ROCK CRYSTAL CANEParis, 1900Est. $2,000-$3,000
0018: A CONTINENTAL ENAMEL INLAID 900 STANDARD SILVER MYTHOLOGICAL CANE Possibly Estonian, circa 1925Est. $1,200-$1,800Lot Passed
Auction Details
Bid Increments
PriceBid Increment
$0$5
$100$10
$200$20
$220$30
$280$20
$320$30
$380$20
$420$30
$480$20
$500$50
$1,000$100
$2,000$200
$2,200$300
$2,800$300
$3,200$300
$3,800$200
$4,200$300
$4,800$200
$5,000$500
$10,000$1,000
$20,000$2,000
$22,000$3,000
$28,000$2,000
$32,000$3,000
$38,000$2,000
$42,000$3,000
$48,000$2,000
$50,000$5,000
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