Staff of office

A gold- or silver-topped cane can express social standing (or dandyism).

Various staffs of office derived from walking sticks or staffs are used by both western and eastern Christian churches.

Orchestral conductors have in their batons symbols of authority as well as tools of their trade.

In the Christian church, the person giving these symbols held a staff to signify his role, and it seems that as music became rhythmically more complex, the staff was moved up and down to indicate the beat, acting as an early form of baton.

Church sidesmen bear sticks or rods or wands of office; bishops may use a crozier or crook.

Compare in this context the function of the ceremonial mace, the scepter, and the staff of office.

Church sidesmen bear sticks or rods or wands of office; bishops may use a crozier or crook.

Many other types of the staff of office were found in later periods, some continuing to the modern day in ceremonial contexts.

Monarchs often have a sceptre signifying their office, and field-marshals are traditionally given a short thick baton in several countries.

A sceptre (British English) or scepter (American English) is a staff or wand held in the hand by a ruling monarch as an item of royal or imperial insignia.

Monarchs often have a sceptre signifying their office, and field-marshals are traditionally given a short thick baton in several countries.

Unlike a staff of office, a baton is not rested on the ground.

Some corporate bodies such as local councils and livery companies use maces.

A staff of office is a staff, the carrying of which often denotes an official's position, a social rank or a degree of social prestige.

A staff of office is a staff, the carrying of which often denotes an official's position, a social rank or a degree of social prestige.

A gold- or silver-topped cane can express social standing (or dandyism).

A gold- or silver-topped cane can express social standing (or dandyism).

A gold- or silver-topped cane can express social standing (or dandyism).

Teachers or prefects in schools traditionally carried less elaborate canes which marked their right (and potential threat) to administer canings, and military officers carry a residual threat of physical punishment in their swagger sticks.

Teachers or prefects in schools traditionally carried less elaborate canes which marked their right (and potential threat) to administer canings, and military officers carry a residual threat of physical punishment in their swagger sticks.

Teachers or prefects in schools traditionally carried less elaborate canes which marked their right (and potential threat) to administer canings, and military officers carry a residual threat of physical punishment in their swagger sticks.

Teachers or prefects in schools traditionally carried less elaborate canes which marked their right (and potential threat) to administer canings, and military officers carry a residual threat of physical punishment in their swagger sticks.

Orchestral conductors have in their batons symbols of authority as well as tools of their trade.

Orchestral conductors have in their batons symbols of authority as well as tools of their trade.

Church sidesmen bear sticks or rods or wands of office; bishops may use a crozier or crook.

Church sidesmen bear sticks or rods or wands of office; bishops may use a crozier or crook.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some of the Oriental Orthodox Churches an ecclesiastical walking stick is used by bishops, archimandrites and hegumens (abbots) when walking outside.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some of the Oriental Orthodox Churches an ecclesiastical walking stick is used by bishops, archimandrites and hegumens (abbots) when walking outside.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some of the Oriental Orthodox Churches an ecclesiastical walking stick is used by bishops, archimandrites and hegumens (abbots) when walking outside.

In the Eastern Orthodox Church and some of the Oriental Orthodox Churches an ecclesiastical walking stick is used by bishops, archimandrites and hegumens (abbots) when walking outside.