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Artworks
UNIDENTIFIED ARTIST, NORTHERN NORTHWEST COAST, POSSIBLY TSIMSHIAN
Cane or Staff with Circumventing Serpent and Frog Finial, 19th centurywood, stain, abalone, and silver, 35 x 1.5 x 2.25 in (88.9 x 3.8 x 5.7 cm)
unsigned.LOT 56
ESTIMATE: $1,500 — $2,500
PRICE REALIZED: $2,318.00Further images
For an artist, crafting a cane or staff involves the challenge of organizing design vertically, much like a totem pole. This challenge has been masterfully met in this work. Crafted...For an artist, crafting a cane or staff involves the challenge of organizing design vertically, much like a totem pole. This challenge has been masterfully met in this work. Crafted with a steady hand and meticulous attention, the cane features an intricately patterned snake with uniform carved scales coiling around the shaft. Atop this, a frog clutches the snake's lower jaw to form the finial. The eyes of both creatures are inlaid with iridescent abalone, bringing the surface to life. With a length just shy of three feet, we speculate that this staff was likely tailored for the supportive stride of an elder.
Provenance
Collection of John & Joyce Price, Seattle
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