This ebony cane or walking stick is topped with a silver and glass case used to hold perfumes, herbs, or a scented sponge. The silver design is floral with the occasional fruit, calling back to a time when pomanders were citrus fruit studded with herbs and soaked in vinegar.

Weight (Lbs): 1.25
Height (In.): 33.50"
Width (In.): 1.75"
Depth (In.): 1.75"
Size: 469.5 x 4.0 x 4.0"
Maker: Unknown
Material: Glass, Silver, Ebony
Date: 19th C.
Provenance:
Condition: Loss to varnish about seven inches up from the ferrule, continuing for about two and a half inches in staggered scraping. Tarnish to the silver. No cracks or breaks noticed.
History: Pomanders were often used by doctors and religious officials during times of widespread disease as both a ward and a purifier to prevent the spread of plague due to their belief in the sanitary properties of herbs. Devices such as these would have held solid perfumes within the glass case, using the perforated lid to allow the scent to diffuse into the air as they walked.