43. Early Nobility Cane-Ca. 1800-Flamed maple handle wonderfully carved in high relief and painstaking fine detail in the curving shape of a Crosier centered by a fabled bird head surrounded by opulent acanthus leaves, malacca shaft and a metal ferrule. The crook borrows its shape from the traditional Western pastoral staff which is considered to be both a rod for punishing the recalcitrant and a staff for leading the faithful. It speaks here for the strong personality of its owner who probably considered himself the “shepherd of the flock of an important family”. In any case, it was lovingly treasured for an entire century in the same art collector’s family and aged well with a dark and uniform patina which increases its dramatic appeal. -H. 8 ½” x 4”, O.L. 39 ½”-$700-$1,000