Cane with Boot-Shaped Handle

Unidentified, Cane with Boot-Shaped Handle, late 19th-early 20th century, carved and stained wood, Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.12
Copied Unidentified, Cane with Boot-Shaped Handle, late 19th-early 20th century, carved and stained wood, 35 1⁄4 x 2 1⁄2 x 7⁄8 in. (89.5 x 6.5 x 2.1 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.12
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Artwork Details

Title
Cane with Boot-Shaped Handle
Artist
Unidentified
Date
late 19th-early 20th century
Location
Dimensions
35 1⁄4 x 2 1⁄2 x 7⁄8 in. (89.5 x 6.5 x 2.1 cm.)
Credit Line
Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums
Mediums Description
carved and stained wood
Classifications
Keywords
  • Dress — accessory — shoe
Object Number
1986.65.12
Linked Open Data
https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.12

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)