Starting in the 16th century, canes and walking sticks became extremely popular, first among royalty and nobility, and by the 19th and 20th centuries having worked their way down to the middle classes as a symbol of status. This example appears to pull from one of the more popular themes of the period, Greek and Roman mythology. This particular cane represents the story of Europa and her seduction or rape by Zeus disguised as a bull, depending on the telling of the tale. The L-shaped grip has been expertly carved in the form of Europa in distress, tied to the back of Zeus in the form of a running bull. The bull is fitted with small glass eyes. The grip is joined to the shaft by an engraved silver band with eight facets, which align with the smooth eight-faceted shaft of hardwood, that is tipped with German silver and iron. It measures 33 3/4 inches overall. This cane is described and pictured on p. 12-15 of "Larry Mattson Collections: Carved Cane Handles 2021". Provenance: Il Segno del Tempo, Milan; The Larry Mattson Collection

Fine overall, the grip showing an attractively aged tone and a few scattered hairline age cracks. The silver band shows an attractively aged patina. The shaft is also fine with a few hairline age cracks and the tip shows some mild patina.