Cane

Glenn Foss, Cane, ca. 1970s, wood with leather strap and rubber foot, length 45 ¹⁄₄ x 3 x 2 ¹⁄₄ in. (114.9 x 7.5 x 8.0 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of the artist, 1991.145.1

Artwork Details

Title: Cane
Artist: Glenn Foss
Date: ca. 1970s
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
/
3rd Floor
/
28A
Dimensions: length 45 ¹⁄₄ x 3 x 2 ¹⁄₄ in. (114.9 x 7.5 x 8.0 cm.)
Credit Line: Bequest of the artist
Mediums: leather
rubber
wood
Mediums Description: wood with leather strap and rubber foot
Classifications: Sculpture
Object Number: 1991.145.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1991.145.1

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)