Starting in the 16th century, canes and walking sticks became extremely popular, first among royalty and nobility, and by the 19th and 20th centuries spread in popularity to nearly every social class. This cane is an example of the work of a master artisan with the grip carved in the shape of a fluted pedestal, a band of spoked wheels and animals near the top, and surmounted by a group of four snarling lions facing outward in every direction. The spaces between the lions front legs and their open mouths are pierced, a testament to the true skill of this artisan. The hardwood shaft, possibly rosewood, is pierced near the top for a lanyard, the holes having antique ivory ferrules. It measures 34 3/16 inches overall.

Very fine, the antique ivory showing some slight attractive aging and one of the lions with the lower jaw absent and upper jaw reattached. The shaft shows some scattered minor dings and scratches, and a few minor chips near the tip.