Steadily growing in popularity starting around the 16th century, canes reached the pinnacle of their popularity amongst the upper classes of society around the late-19th and early-20th centuries. They became more than just an accessory, but rather a symbol of ones status and wealth. This example, from that relatively reserved era, displays some rarely seen imagery for the time. It is likely this cane is of French origin and comes from one of multiple eras in that country when such erotic displays were more openly accepted. This specific cane is described and pictured on p. 188-191 of "Larry Mattson Collections: Carved Cane Handles 2021". The L-shaped handle is carved in the shape of a mostly nude woman wearing only stockings, garters, and healed shoes, straddling the grip. The grip is joined to the shaft with an engraved silver band and the ebony shaft is lightly knobbed/thorned and tipped with metal. It measures 36 3/4 inches overall. Provenance: The Larry Mattson Collection