Beginning in roughly the 1600s, canes began an evolution from a mobility aid to a status symbol, and by the late 18th and early 19th century reaching their final form as an accessory for projecting wealth and social status. At their peak, canes were not only a popular accessory for upper class men, but both men and women from the middle class to the most exclusive upper echelons of society. The grip has been masterfully relief carved in the form of a bust of the Greek and Roman god Dionysus or Bacchus, surrounded by leafy grape vines, a bunch of grapes around his neck, an ornate pedestal at the bottom, and hanging planter on the back. The top of the grip is formed into a large spherical shape. A buckled belt is carved at the lower edge of the grip where it meets the shaft. Dionysus/Bacchus was the god of the grape-harvest, wine making, orchards and fruit, vegetation, fertility, insanity, and ritual madness. Representations of the god were very popular amongst the affluent of the period as a symbol of their lush and extravagant lifestyles. The thick shaft is of smooth Malacca and is tipped with a large antique ivory ferrule. It measures 35 1/2 inches overall. Provenance: Laurence Jantzen, Le Louvre des Antiquaires, Paris; The Larry Mattson Collection

Very fine, the grip showing an attractive, lightly aged tone with some hairline age cracks, primarily at the very top of the grip, and crisp carving overall. The shaft is also very fine with some scattered light handling marks, scattered finish crazing, and a few minor cracks in the ferrule.