A walking stick of Napoleon Bonaparte interest,
with an ivory handle, crisply carved with a dog's head and collar, mounted with diamonds, opals, garnet, split pearls, coral, turquoise and zircon, a banded agate in the dog's open mouth over a cast yellow metal collar which tests as 15ct gold, similarly mounted with gemstones, on a malachite cane, with an applied paper label which reads 'From The Collection of the Stansfield and Cooper-Horsfall families. This stick was presented to Marshal Soult, with gratitude from Napoleon' [sic],
91cm long

Provenance: The Peter and Pat Crofts Collection.

Marshal General Jean-de-Soult, the 1st Duke of Dalmatia (born 29 March 1769, died 26 November 1851), commonly known as Marshal Soult, was a distinguished military commander during the French Revolutionary and Napoleonic Wars (including the Peninsular War).

The Stansfield and Copper-Horsfall families were brought together by the marriage of the Reverend Michael Alfred Horsfall of West Thorpe, Whitby to Mabel Catherine Stansfield in 1897.

As the name Stansfield is mentioned first, it is more than feasible that the stick came into the possession of the Copper-Horsfall family through Michael’s marriage to Mabel in 1897. The Stansfield family were a well-established family in the County of Yorkshire gentry. Likewise, the Horsfall family appear to have been long residents in the county.

Condition Report

Some gemstones not original.
Discolouration to the gold collar amongst gemstones.
Overall good.

There is a drilled banded agate bead in the mouth of the dog. This is a later addition. Glue is visible around the bead.
There are two green gemstones in collets to the nose of the dog. The gemstones and collets are later additions. Due to mount limitations we have been unable to make a positive identification as to the type and variety of these gemstones.
The forehead and eyes are set with rose cut diamonds and turquoise cabochons (one cracked), which are probably original.
There are coral cabochons and green gemstones glued to the head, these are later additions. There may originally have gem-set collets in these recesses. Due to mount limitations we have been unable to make a positive identification as to the type and variety of the green gemstones.
The carved buckle style collar to the dog is set with diamonds, opal, turquoise, brown zircon, a colourless gem for a which a positive identification has not been possible due to mount limitations, all in collets, and three cabochon turquoise which have been glued in. The glued turquoise are later replacements, as are the opal and colourless gem, and possibly the brown zircon.
The neck is set with a cushion cut amethyst (chipped), a round cabochon cat’s eye gem, possibly chrysoberyl, and a cabochon opal (cracked). The opal is a later replacement.
There is a crack through the ivory where these three collets are set.
The gold collar is set with a pink tourmaline, a colourless gemstone, possibly rock crystal quartz, a garnet, three pearls, and rose cut diamonds. The garnet is a later replacement. One of the pearls is a cultured pearl, and the nacre is very worn - largely deficient. This pearl is a later replacement. The other two pearls are untested.
There is glue visible around most of the later gemstones.