Convinced of imminent financial comfort, Balzac bought this expensive accessory on credit.

The cane was ordered from the Parisian artisan Le Cointe (12 rue de Castiglione) and was handed over to Balzac on the 18th August 1834. In April 1835, he had still not paid for his purchase. Its enormous price (700 francs) was justified by the gold knob, made with fine engravings and a constellation of turquoises.

Balzac, who was searching for recognition, hoped to advertise the success of his publications, one after the other, with the spotlight focused particularly on Eugenie Grandet. The writer expected a surge in prestige thanks to Old Goriot, which was in preparation at that time. He wanted to advertise his success with the ostentation of his finery.

He succeeded, going as far as to generate a real social and media fervour. Numerous caricatures were produced, and not always to his advantage.

A cane of love

This period is also interspersed with successful affairs, notably with Madame Hanska. As a sign of his love for the Countess, he used her childhood jewellery to make his cane’s decorative cords. And thus it is with pride that he wrote to tell her of ‘this jewel that runs the risk of being European… And if someone tells you in your voyages that I have a magic wand that can grow hair, make palaces appear and spit diamonds, do not be surprised and laugh with me.’ (March 30th 1835).

A magical cane

Delphine de Girardin, in her novel The Cane of Monsieur Balzac (1836), made the following observation: the cane renders the person who carries the cane in their left hand invisible:

‘M. Balzac hides in order to observe; he watches, watches people who think that they are alone, who are thinking as though no-one has ever watched them while they are thinking; he observes moments of genius as they spring out of bed, feelings in their dressing-gown, vanities in their slippers, rages in their hats, miseries in vests, and then he puts all of these parts of you in a book.’