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Cane with Head and Geometric Inlay

Object Details

Luce Center Label
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)
Data Source
Smithsonian American Art Museum
Artist
Unidentified
Date
probably 20th century
Credit Line
Smithsonian American Art Museum, Gift of Herbert Waide Hemphill, Jr. and museum purchase made possible by Ralph Cross Johnson
Medium
carved, inlaid, painted, and stained walnut
Dimensions
36 3/8 x 1 3/8 x 1 3/8 in. (92.4 x 3.5 x 3.5 cm.)
Type
Sculpture
Folk Art
This image is in the public domain (free of copyright restrictions). You can copy, modify, and distribute this work without contacting the Smithsonian. For more information, visit the Smithsonian's Open Access page.
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