Reaching the peak of their popularity in the late 19th century, canes had been popular for centuries, evolving during the Renaissance into more of a status symbol than a mobility aid. This example was likely made towards the end of the French Renaissance in the 17th century, showing a somewhat simpler style to the elaborate works of art seen in the late 19th century. The grip on this example has been relief carved in the form of a distressed or enraged man's face, reminiscent of gargoyle figures often carved on gothic buildings of the period. The face is fitted with glass eyes. There is a small step down of the shaft below the grip which once had been fitted for a band (now absent), or was simply intended for decoration. The shaft is smooth malacca and has a large nickeled tip. It measures 38 1/2 inches overall. Provenance: Laurence Jantzen, Le Louvre des Antiquaires, Paris; The Larry Mattson Collection