I noticed that many nativity scenes present Joseph with a staff (in many cases a shepherd's staff). What was the original basis for this portrayal?
This answer is less concerned with the origin of the staff but suggests that it was a symbol of authority, suitable for a descendant of David, and was used in early stories as part of a miraculous sign.
Also, was the use of a shepherd's staff an original (or very early) conception, perhaps again relating to David, or a later change, perhaps a confusion with the staffs of the shepherds in nativity scenes?