Walking Stick with Companion Hunting Sword, Knife, and Scabbard
Unknown
ca. 1780 · Porcelain, silver, gold, wood, copper alloy, steel, leather · Arms and Armor
This seemingly unique hunting garniture was made for Maximilian Franz of Austria (1756–1801), the youngest son of Empress Maria Theresa (1717–1780), presumably before he became Prince Archbishop and Elector of Cologne in 1784. Comprising a sword with scabbard and byknife, and a matching walking stick, it is remarkable for the finely painted Meissen porcelain of which the grip and handles are made. Derived from a suite of etchings by the Augsburg artist Johann Elias Ridinger, and appropriately featuring scenes of the stag hunt, the decoration of the porcelain elements is executed in a shades of puce, a fashionable technique that was especially prized for the range of tonalities that it afforded.
- Artist
- Unknown
- Date
- ca. 1780
- Medium
- Porcelain, silver, gold, wood, copper alloy, steel, leather
- Culture
- German or Austrian
- Department
- Arms and Armor
- Credit line
- Purchase, Friends of Arms and Armor Gifts, 2017
