Cane

Ben Miller, Cane, 1967-1969, carved and varnished wood, felt-tipped marker, and ballpoint pen and ink, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies, 1992.1.3
Ben Miller, Cane, 1967-1969, carved and varnished wood, felt-tipped marker, and ballpoint pen and ink, 34 1⁄2 x 2 3⁄8 in. (87.5 x 6.1 cm.) diam., Smithsonian American Art Museum, Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies, 1992.1.3

Artwork Details

Title
Cane
Artist
Date
1967-1969
Location
Not on view
Dimensions
34 1⁄2 x 2 3⁄8 in. (87.5 x 6.1 cm.) diam.
Credit Line
Museum purchase from the folk art collection of David L. Davies
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and varnished wood, felt-tipped marker, and ballpoint pen and ink
Classifications
Subjects
  • Animal — reptile — lizard
  • Animal — reptile — snake
Object Number
1992.1.3
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1992.1.3

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)

Works by this artist (4 items)

Image Not Available
Victorian Vision
Artist
Date1973
lithograph on paper
Not on view
Image Not Available
Church
Artist
Date1971
color woodcut
Not on view
Image Not Available
Edge of the Village
Artist
Datebefore 1972
woodcut on paper
Not on view
Frank C. Eckmair, House on the Hill, ca. 1960s, color woodcut on paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Bequest of Frank McClure, 1979.98.79
House on the Hill
Artist
Dateca. 1960s
color woodcut on paper
Not on view

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Claire Falkenstein, Untitled, 1976, embossed paper, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of The Falkenstein Foundation, 2019.27.18, ©1997, The Falkenstein Foundation
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Artist
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Artist
Date1977
lithograph
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Image Not Available
Les Quais de la Seine a Paris
Artist
Date1917
hand-colored etching on postcard
Not on view