Canes reached the pinnacle of their popularity as a fashion accessory around the mid-19th, becoming extremely popular amongst the middle and upper classes of North America and Europe as a means of displaying social status. This example is attributed as early 19th century French and features a depiction of the main theme from the poem "Mazeppa" by Lord Byron, in which Ivan Mazeppa (1687-1708) is bound to a wild horse after an affair with the wife of a powerful Polish count. In reality, Mazeppa is highly regarded in Ukraine as one of the first leaders of the Ukrainian independence movement and a war hero. The antique ivory grip of the cane has been masterfully carved to show distressed Mazeppa tied to the rearing wild horse. It is fitted to a smooth Malacca shaft that once had a tip that is now absent. It measures 38 1/2 inches overall. Provenance: The C. Dike Collection; The Patrick Gutknecht Collection; The Larry Mattson Collection