The Cane of the Incroyable
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Incroyable is the
name given, during the French revolutionary times, to these stylish men and
women who were dressed in an extraordinary studied manner and use to talk in an
unusual way. When talking, they removed the "r" and used studied expressions.
They were given the name Incroyable due to the affectedness with which they
repeated at any time"c'est incôyable". (Larousse
Paris, 1931) |
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Incroyable, Cabinet des
Estampes. |
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Incroyable and Merveilleuse.
Source:
B.Latouche, a well documented website on the revolutionary
times. |
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The bludgeon Stick
 The
use of the bludgeon Stick is related with the fashion
said of the "Incroyables", that begins around the year 1788 to end in 1799 and
wich main epoch was between 1795 to 1797, at the subdued of the Directoire.
The twisted Cane of the Iincroyable was also
named "executive power", meaning that holding the Cane
might constraint to apply the revolutionary law.
Another name was "Freedom
tree", in relation with its natural appearance of gnarled branch,
recalled the freedom trees put in everywhere, in France during the revolution.
This fashion was intended to take the opposite course to the old regime; it
corresponds to the idea of going back to the nature, lauded by Jean-Jacques
Rousseau, a well known French writer.
It isn't the idea of beauty that motivated the
Incroyable. No; all the contrary, they did their best, deliberately, to give
themselves the appearance of an ill-favoured person.
From the ashes of the Jeunesse Dorée
(gilded youth) of Fréron, a French deputy at the Convention, were born
the Incroyables. They were more numerous, though their dresses were more
expensive; but they came in a time where more resources were available.
The Incroyables were nothing else than the
fashionables at the time of the Directoire. Among all the men's generation that
dedicated themselves to cult of fashion, is different from any other one due to
the oddness of its taste and habits. |
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Each one likes to describe the Incroyable's
Cane as an awful stick:
"The French Revolution, that had broken the
feudal and regal stick, didn't wait long before choping the canes and, under
the Directoire, appeared the "incredibles" , ugly gnarled
sticks that the lofty people whirled while walking" (Real, p. 280)
Or as well: "In the times of the Directoire we
see the outbreak of the Incroyable's Cane, dreadful twisted
bludgeon, gnarled, rough, as unattractive to see than to wear, but that
the dandies couldn't avoid to elegantly twirl in their hand, while
walking."
Nevertheless, we will see in the next rooms
that some of this canes were beautiful. |
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 Daughter of the revolutionary
period, the boxing stick will later on be associated to the "Boxe
française".
Born a quarter of century later, around 1820, in the
Paris suburbs of La Courtille, the "Boxe Française" will then be named
La Savate or Le Chausson. Source: The art of the "Boxe française
" and of the stick, new theorical and practical treaty, by Charlemont,Paris
1899.
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