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AN ITALIAN GARNET INSET 800 STANDARD SILVER AND SILVER-GILT SATOR SQUARE CANE19th century image 1
AN ITALIAN GARNET INSET 800 STANDARD SILVER AND SILVER-GILT SATOR SQUARE CANE19th century image 2
Lot 21

AN ITALIAN GARNET INSET 800 STANDARD SILVER AND SILVER-GILT SATOR SQUARE CANE
19th century

8 December 2025, 15:00 EST
New York

US$3,000 - US$5,000

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AN ITALIAN GARNET INSET 800 STANDARD SILVER AND SILVER-GILT SATOR SQUARE CANE

19th century
The terminal with a garnet inset Maltese cross, the handle with five movable rings spelling five palindromes with an inset garnet cabochon at the start of each row, on a Malacca shaft with a metal ferrule.
height overall 33 3/8in (84.8cm); height of handle 3 1/8in (7.9cm); width 1 3/8in (3.5cm)

Footnotes

A Sator Square is an ancient five-word palindrome that has been used throughout the centuries as a talisman, a charm, a Christian symbol, and a mystery for historians. Made up of 25 letters in a grid, made up of five words: Sator, Arepo, Tenet, Opera and Rotas. The words can be read horizontally and vertically, from the top and left, and the bottom and right. The oldest known Sator Square was found in the ruins pf Pompeii, and was used to ward off evil in the Medieval times.

Provenance
Il Segno del Tempo, Milan;
Collection of Eddi Van Auken, California, purchased from the above March 2010.

Literature
Van Auken, Eddi. Masterpieces: The Eddi Van Auken Collection of Antique Walking Sticks and Canes. Silvia Editrice, Milan, 2025, pages 84-85, number 50. (illustrated)

Condition reports are not provided in catalog descriptions. The absence of a condition report does not guarantee that the lot is in good condition or free from damage and wear. We encourage you to request a condition report and/or additional photos prior to bidding on any lot.

Additional information