Cane with Snake and Lizard

Ben Miller, Cane with Snake and Lizard, ca. 1968, carved, stained, and varnished dogwood or white ash with plastic and felt- tipped pen and ink, 38 x 8 ¹⁄₈ x 1 ¹⁄₄ in. (96.5 x 20.7 x 3.3 cm.), Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson, 1986.65.1

Artwork Details

Title: Cane with Snake and Lizard
Artist: Ben Miller
Date: ca. 1968
Location: Smithsonian American Art Museum
/
Luce Foundation Center
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3rd Floor
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28A
Dimensions: 38 x 8 ¹⁄₈ x 1 ¹⁄₄ in. (96.5 x 20.7 x 3.3 cm.)
Credit Line: Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Mediums: wood
ink
plastic
rubber
Mediums Description: carved, stained, and varnished dogwood or white ash with plastic and felt- tipped pen and ink
Classifications: Sculpture
Subjects: Animal — reptile — lizard
Animal — reptile — snake
Object Number: 1986.65.1
Linked Open Data: https://edan.si.edu/saam/id/object/1986.65.1

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)