Kimball M. Sterling selling rare antique cane collection June 18
Tom Hoepf
Faberge jewelry dress cane handle, early 20th century. A bowenite carving of a tamarin monkey by Carl Faberge, set with cabochon ruby eyes, mounted with an enamel gold and diamond-set collar with its original marked wood case. Estimate: $25,000-$30,000. Kimball M. Sterling Inc. image
JOHNSON CITY, Tenn. – A Faberge cane handle once belonging to Mrs. Yule Brenner is the lead lot at Kimball M. Sterling’s offering of the Ann and Pat Arthur cane collection auction on June 18.
Absentee and Internet live bidding is available through LiveAuctioneers.com.
The auction has more than 140 lots of fine dress canes, gun and sword canes, musician canes, and folk canes. A rare Italian pink coral cane (below) will also be offered. System canes include a physician’s cane, an artist’s cane, a telescope and cigar-related canes.
Italian pink coral cane handle, circa 1870, carved throughout in a swirl pattern. The top of the five-piece segmented handle is carved to depict tree branches. With partridgewood shaft and a brass ferrule. Estimate: $7,000-$8,000. Kimball M. Sterling Inc. image
The Arthur started their collection in the early 1970s and acquired some of the finest canes in the world. They also began the Cane Chronicler, the first newsletter in the U.S. devoted to canes.
Rare system cane having a carved wood dog handle and containing a music stand – a 19th century engineering masterpiece. Estimate: $4,000-$6,000. Kimball M. Sterling Inc. image
A well-known and highly regarded cane collection like this is rarely offered at a public auction, says Kimball M. Sterling.
