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300 20th Street · Sacramento
© 2026 Witherell’s
Live Auction
Luxury Asset Auction 10/29/2026
Thu, Oct 29, 2026 07:00PM EDT
2026-10-29 19:00:00
2026-10-29 19:00:00
America/New_York
Witherell Auctions
Witherell Auctions : Luxury Asset Auction 10/29/2026
https://bid.witherell.com/auctions/witherells/luxury-asset-auction-10-29-2026-23593
Witherell's Live Luxury Asset Auction, October 29, 2026, from the Sutter Club, Sacramento. 363 lots: Warhol's $9, a Peale portrait, a Stone Declaration of Independence, Rolex, gold, fine jewelry, California baskets and more. Witherell Auctions Brian@witherell.com
Witherell's Live Luxury Asset Auction, October 29, 2026, from the Sutter Club, Sacramento. 363 lots: Warhol's $9, a Peale portrait, a Stone Declaration of Independence, Rolex, gold, fine jewelry, California baskets and more. Witherell Auctions Brian@witherell.com
Lot 338
Two Continental Figural Walking Sticks with Snake and Memento Mori Handles
Estimate: $1,000 - $2,500
Starting Bid
Bid Increments
| Price | Bid Increment |
|---|---|
| $0 | $50 |
| $1,000 | $100 |
| $2,000 | $250 |
| $5,000 | $500 |
| $10,000 | $1,000 |
| $20,000 | $2,500 |
| $50,000 | $5,000 |
| $100,000 | $10,000 |
A pair of Continental European carved figural walking sticks dating to the late nineteenth and early twentieth centuries. The first features a stag antler handle carved with a coiled snake winding around the antler and a finely detailed bird with outstretched wings perched above, mounted to a dark hardwood shaft. The second is a memento mori cane carved as a weathered skull emerging from a tree trunk, accompanied by white mice and a worm climbing through the composition, and mounted to a naturalistic branch-form shaft.
Dimensions: Snake Cane: 4 x 3 x 36 in. Memento Mori Cane: 2.5 x 2.5 x 37 in.
Shipping: Free Gardnerville, Nevada pickup. Shipping via FedEx within the continental U.S. for $80 plus 1.5% insurance (unless waived in writing). This lot cannot be shipped to California, Hawaii, Illinois, New Jersey, New York, Oregon, or Washington. Prospective bidders are responsible for determining the legality of purchasing or possessing this property in their jurisdiction.
Special Notice: Preview, pickup, and shipping for this lot will be conducted exclusively through our Gardnerville, Nevada facility.
Condition
General wear consistent with age and use. The memento mori cane exhibits age cracks to the carved skull along with minor losses and wear to the applied white figures. The snake cane shows light handling wear. Please examine photographs carefully for complete condition details.
Available payment options
Shipping is only in continental U.S. and information regarding shipping price is provided within the description of each lot. For international and larger items that we cannot ship in house, please take a look at our shipping contacts.
The Estate of Eddi Van Auken (1938–2024), Danville, California. Mrs. Van Auken assembled one of the foremost private collections of antique canes and walking sticks over more than three decades. Selections from her collection were published in the museum-quality volumes Vertical Art: The Enduring Beauty of Antique Canes and Walking Sticks and Masterpieces: The Eddi Van Auken Collection of Antique Walking Sticks. The snake cane was acquired in April 2003, and the memento mori cane in June 1999.