Lasting from approximately September 1793 to July of 1794 and led by the figurehead Maximilien Robespierre, the "Reign of Terror" period of the First French Republic left at least 45,000 people dead. Most of those killed were executed by guillotine, and many of which had been members of the affluent upper echelons of French society. After Robespierre met his fate at the guillotine, the high society of France let out a collective sigh of relief, from which was born the "Incroyable". The Incroyables, as they were known, were marked by their lavish, over the top, almost comic dress and lavish parties, in reaction to the prior period of hiding ones wealth and status. The grip of this cane is wonderfully relief carved in the form of a bust of an Incroyable, with his comically large bicorne hat, bowtie, and monocle. The grip is joined to the shaft with a gilt brass band with floral motifs. The shaft is of a spiral knobbed/burled root wood, the type of which is noted as used for canes carried by Incroyables during the period, who called the canes/bludgeons their "executive power". The shaft is tipped with a copper and iron ferrule. It measures 35 1/2 inches overall. Provenance: Laurence Jantzen, Le Louvre des Antiquaires, Paris; The Larry Mattson Collection

Very fine overall, the grip showing finely detailed carving, a few hairline age cracks, minimal handling evidence on the shaft, and attractively aged patina on the ferrule.