The Malacca cane stick was presented by Charles W. Bradley, U.S. Consul in Singapore to visiting U.S. Navy officer (later Commodore) John P. Gillis in January 1852. Gillis was in Singapore to join Commodore Matthew Perry’s historic naval mission as it made a stopover in Singapore on its way to Japan, to open up Tokugawa Japan to Western trade. The cane stick bears an inscription which records the presentation of the gift. The stick is believed to be made from cane from Malacca.
