A brass candle snuffer caps the narrow shaft of this cane. A sphere tops the snuffer, unscrewed to reveal a compartment used to store Vesta matches.

Weight (Lbs): 0.5
Height (In.): 35.50"
Width (In.): 2"
Depth (In.): 1.50"
Size: 417.5 x 4.0 x 4.0"
Maker: Unknown
Material: Brass, Maple
Date: 19th C.
Provenance:
Condition: Scratching and patination on the snuffer. Expected wear and gouging on the shaft of the cane.
History: Canes were a popular accessory to the fashion minded far more than as an actual ambulatory aid during the 18th and 19th Centuries, dying out as a stable by the early 20th Century. Interestingly, the size of the ferrule, the metal cap on the base of a cane, is a fairly accurate measure of dating the cane, as by the 18th century, it began to shorten with the advent of maintained road systems and paved paths.