A very nice undertaker's coffin measure cane. Made of stepped malacca, it has a straight natural handle that measures 2 1/3" high and about 7/8" across the top. With a straight pull of the handle, a long brass measure emerges. The top portion contains a swing out bar with another short bar at the elbow that snaps and becomes fixed in place. The scale is delineated in two-inch gradients so that an accurate measurement of a deceased could be accomplished for a custom made coffin. The stepped malacca shaft finishes with a 1" replaced brass ferrule. The overall length when a cane is 37 1/3" and the condition is very good. It is perhaps English, ca 1895. An example of an undertaker's cane is shown in Dike's Cane Curiosa, on page 259, colored picture 26/1. It is a very fine example of the kind. Estimate: $1200-$1800.