Cane

An item at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The shillelagh is a traditional walking stick of Ireland, associated with folklore and given as a symbol of coming of age to young men. Also modified and used as a protective weapon, the shillelagh was carried by men to use against rival factions that might meet during public events. The thorny vines of this example are attractively interwoven around the gnarled shaft with a polished root handle. While decorative, it is easy to see how such an instrument could be utilized to exact a painful wound.

The Costume Institute

An exhibit at Metropolitan Museum of Art

The Costume Institute's collection of more than thirty-three thousand objects represents seven centuries of fashionable dress and accessories for men, women, and children, from the fifteenth century to the present.

Metropolitan Museum of Art