Beginning in approximately the 16th century, canes gradually became more popular among the upper echelons of society, reaching its pinnacle around the late-19th to early-20th centuries, around the same time that opera reached its peak popularity. They became far more than just an accessory to assist with mobility, but also a symbol of ones status and wealth, and in some cases contained a secondary purpose, like this example. The grip of this example is made of brass and contains a swiveling opera glass/low power telescope. It can be accessed by pushing the containing ring and swivel arms upward and unscrewing the knob shaped grip cap. It is fitted to a thick, smooth hardwood shaft that is tipped with brass and hard rubber.

Very fine, the brass showing an attractive, lightly aged patina overall and the optics of the opera glass clear. The shaft shows some light wear and scattered handling marks, as well as some dark speckling near the bottom.