Bonbonnière cane handle

Despite its close resemblance to English enamelware, this bonbonnière cane handle was in fact made by Samson of Paris, a ceramics firm dedicated to producing convincing reproductions. An eighteenth-century example that may have inspired this replica is also in The Met’s collection (2023.441.58).


When affixed to the top of a cane as a handle, bonbonnières—small boxes intended to hold sweetmeats or cachous to sweeten the breath—could add a personal touch to an otherwise utilitarian object. Canes were used by both men and women of all ages; for instance, they could provide support when wearing high heels or pattens (platforms worn over shoes to protect them from mud).


Enameled objects like this one were intended to imitate the lustrous quality of porcelain at more affordable prices. By the middle of the eighteenth century, technological innovations had made it possible to roll copper, instead of the far costlier gold, into very thin sheets. Powdered glass mixed with minerals (to determine the opacity and color of the enamel) would then be applied onto the copper sheets and fired at high temperatures. A design—whether a famous portrait, generic pastoral scene, or floral motif— could be painted on by hand or copied from an engraving through the newly invented process of transfer printing. Many enameled objects combined both methods of decoration and would be refired after the application of each new layer or color.