A very fine wood tramp art puzzle cane. This unusual stick is made of hundreds of pieces of angled soft-wood set into a wood base. A larger removable piece at the top is apparently the key to opening the puzzle. When removed, the key-piece allows the rest of the smaller pieces to fall off, so the task of re-building the cane much like a jig-saw picture puzzle, can be accomplished. The sides are fashioned in three different "zones" of puzzle pieces of differing sizes and a 1 3/4" hand-fashioned, wooden ferrule completes the item. Three and three quarters inches down from the top, one angled puzzle piece is carved with a thin wooden protuberance so the cane could be stored on a loop of rawhide or cord when not in use. The overall length is 38 2/3" and the condition is very good. It is probably American, ca 1915, and it is a great example of amateur handwork and ingenuity. Estimate: $500-$700.