Cane with Bird Handle

Image Not Available
Copied Arthur Pete Dilbert, Cane with Bird Handle, 1988, carved and stained wood, 38 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄2 x 2 5⁄16 in. (97.8 x 11.3 x 5.8 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of James E. Allen, 1991.105

Artwork Details

Title
Cane with Bird Handle
Artist
Date
1988
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
38 1⁄4 x 4 1⁄2 x 2 5⁄16 in. (97.8 x 11.3 x 5.8 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of James E. Allen
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and stained wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Figure female
  • Animal — bird
Object Number
1991.105
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.105

Artwork Description

Artists decorate canes with a wide variety of images, from traditional carvings of snakes and birds, to nude women, political figures, and celebrities. Some artists highlight the natural shape of the wood by applying relief designs onto twisted branches and roots, while others carve three-dimensional shapes into the shaft. Images of animals are the most popular decoration, but many canes also show patriotic, fraternal, and political themes. (George Meyer, American Folk Art Canes, 1992)