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317
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MAQUIGNON’S WALKING STICK Made of monoxyl boxwood. The shaft…
See original version (French)
317
-
MAQUIGNON’S WALKING STICK Made of monoxyl boxwood. The shaft…
See original version (French)
Estimate €600 - €800
Voluntary lot
Description
MAQUIGNON’S WALKING STICK
Made of monoxyl boxwood. The shaft is carved with a horse’s head in relief. The pommel is decorated in relief with a club, a diamond, a heart and a spade. One side is engraved and studded with nails to form a presumed metric scale (truncated), subdivided into ten graduations, each 8 mm long. Forged iron tip.
Early 19th century.
Length: 80 cm.
(Cartouche with a monogram that has since been erased, fine patina, minor imperfections visible)
Description:
This rare horse-dealer’s walking stick, carved from a single piece of boxwood, serves as a walking aid, a professional emblem and a possible measuring instrument. The carved decoration (a horse’s head in relief and a pommel adorned with the four suits of a deck of cards) evokes the world of fairs, horse markets, bargaining and the social interactions characteristic of the horse dealer’s trade.
The riveted scale, divided according to a decimal system but reduced to 8 mm per unit, does not appear to correspond to any traditional unit of measurement. Rather, it seems to imitate the metric system whilst distorting it, with each apparent ‘centimetre’ being worth only 8 mm. At a time when the metric system had not yet been fully integrated into everyday practice, this truncated scale may have been used for approximate measurements, for personal calibration or, more likely in the context of the horse trade, as a ploy designed to give the merchant an advantage during transactions.
See original version (French)
Auto-translation. Refer to original language for legal validity.
Pictures credits: Contact the Auction House
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