46. Erotic Folk Art Stanhope Cane -Ca. 1900 -Fashioned of a natural branch with an integral handle grown at an angle and carved to depict a reclined nude presented upside down. The beauty is rendered naturalistically with long hair highlighted with dark color and fits astoundingly well in the hand. So far, so good, however, what makes this cane singular is that it is fitted with an erotic Stanhope in a peephole on the top of the shaft. The micro lens shows a standing nude girl with arrow and bow and endows it with a double erotic function as well as the crossover appeal of associating with more than one collecting field to augment its desirability. The expert opinions are unanimous on the French origin and suggest that the cane was probably commissioned by an eccentric Gentleman from the Belle Époque for his own pleasure. The tasteful and inconspicuous look allowed him to wear his cane at all occasions, and, in the appropriate time, makes sensation and become the topic of the gathering. The cane aged well with a desirable glazed surface and still retains its initial metal ferrule. -H. 5 ¼” x 2 ½”, O.L. 34 ¾” -$1,200-$1,800 -The Stanhope, named after English scientist Lord Stanhope (1753-1816), was an optical novelty that was concealed in nineteenth century jewelry, ornaments and occasionally canes. It consisted of a slim glass rod, less than one-eighth of an inch in diameter, which had one end rounded to form a lens and a tiny round collodion positive photograph cemented to the other end. A small hole was drilled in the jewelry, the Stanhope inserted, and a magnified view of the photograph could then be seen by looking through the lens. Actually the Stanhope is the beginning of micro-photography or the microfilm of today. In 1867 a French patent was obtained by Antoine Rochard for objects fitted with Stanhope’s. -For a cane with Stanhope’s see C. Dike, Cane Curiosa, Chapter 10, Photography, page 114, 10/24 and Francis H. Monek’s book, Canes Through The Ages, page 262.