China, massive tortoise shell and 18K gold, Canton; 19th century

This Chinese cane consists of a solid tortoiseshell shaft which makes the object very rare. In fact, the tortoiseshell, a precious material, was usually used as a foil on a bamboo base.
Tortoiseshell canes were rare and among the most expensive. They were difficult to achieve and few examples survived due to their fragility. The Carette turtle provided the best material for the shaft, and a tortoise shell required the larger pieces of the 13 natural plates of a large turtle. The pieces had to come from a single animal, as each turtle has a different grain and color. This is the reason why tortoise shell is used in veneer and not in solid. The bamboo brings out the nuances of the scale but also makes it much more resistant.
The rarity of this piece is underlined by the addition of a 19 K gold pommel (French control) decorated with figures of flowers and fish. Chinese gold objects are extremely rare.
The ferrule is made of brass. A gold ring used to attach a wrist strap has been added.
This cane has its original box in gold and black lacquer, typical of Canton.
Cane length : 88 cm
Box length: 96 cm
Weight of the knob: 15grs
A Cites is needed for export outiside the EU