This cane or walking stick tool has a pick and wedge at the head and a squared spike at the base in place of a ferrule. The hickory shaft is carved with the word "Marmolata" and the date "1917" near the head, with a carving of a crowned eagle as well as what appears to be a flower. Due to the spelling, it is likely this climbing tool belonged to an Austria-Hungarian soldier during WW1, when they were station in deep tunnels throughout the northern glacier of Marmolada, a mountain in the Italian Alps.

Weight (Lbs): 1
Height (In.): 35.50"
Width (In.): 6.25"
Depth (In.): 1"
Size: 440.5 x 4.0 x 4.0"
Maker: Unknown
Material: Hickory, Iron
Date: 1917
Provenance:
Condition: Some rusting of the head and spike, minor scratches and abrasions.
History: During World War One, the Italian Alps were an important boundary between Austria-Hungary and Italy. Soldiers were holed up in deep tunnels gouged into the glaciers from 1915 to 1917. Remains of the soldiers and their tools are still being recovered today, the dangerous conditions having cost soldiers their lives as frequently as enemy gunfire.