Walking cane

Museum number:
2-71306
Permalink:
ark:/21549/hm21020071306
Accession number:
Acc.4443
Description:
Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.
Donor:
Berta Bascom
Collection place:
Darien, McIntosh County, Georgia
Verbatim coll. place:
Georgia; Mc Intosh; Darien
Culture or time period:
Gullah
Maker or artist:
William Rogers
Collector:
William Russell Bascom
Collection date:
1939
Object type:
ethnography
Object class:
Canes (walking sticks) and Carvings (visual works)
Context of use:
Walking stick. These were made as gifts and for sale.
Department:
Native US and Canada (except California)
Dimensions:
length 84 centimeters and length 33 inches
Comment:
Photo: yes. Published: Vlach, John, "The Afro-American Tradition in Decorative Arts", #25 and text pp. 27-29.
Loans:
S1993-1994 #11: American Craft Museum (September 27, 1994–March 14, 1995) and S2018-2019 #5: Berkeley Art Museum (March 1, 2019–August 5, 2019)
Images:
Hearst Museum object 1 of 3 titled Walking cane, accession number 2-71306, described as Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.Hearst Museum object 2 of 3 titled Walking cane, accession number 2-71306, described as Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.Hearst Museum object 3 of 3 titled Walking cane, accession number 2-71306, described as Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.
Legacy documentation:
Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Walking cane, accession number 2-71306, described as Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.Documentation associated with Hearst Museum object titled Walking cane, accession number 2-71306, described as Walking cane made of carved medium brown wood (possibly cedar). At top is head and torso of man with blue bead eyes driven in by minute white metal nailheads, painted mouth, vest has 4 nailheads on surface; large alligator is crawling up man's chest, scales in relief, orange glass bead eyes also driven in by nailheads. 5 low relief ovals on each side of alligator. Brass-colored metal tip.

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