Two 19th Century Ceylonese Polychrome and Lacquered Walking Canes.

Two 19th Century Ceylonese Polychrome and Lacquered Walking Canes

A fine pair of 19th century Sinhalese walking canes from Ceylon (modern-day Sri Lanka), each decorated in rich polychrome and lacquer. Both examples display the distinctive Kandyan tradition of lacquerwork, with vibrant red, yellow, black, and green pigments applied in bold geometric and floral bands.

One cane is crowned with a rounded green finial above intricate honeycomb and flower-head motifs, while the other features scrolling foliate decoration and a finely worked interlaced roundel design. The shafts taper elegantly to darkened tips, their surfaces still retaining a warm sheen from age and handling.

Such canes were part of a long tradition of Sinhalese lacquerware, which adorned both ceremonial objects and domestic items, using natural pigments and the maki technique of freehand decoration. Highly prized in the 19th century, these canes were often collected as exotic curiosities during the colonial period and exported to Europe.