19th Century Folk Art Walking Cane w/ Figure and Snakes | Maine Sailor

Here we have a 19th century folk art walking cane with intricate stacked carvings of a (topless?) woman in a hat with a slithering snake coming up from the bottom, as well as a snake head handle. Deep breath! I'm honestly gobsmacked by this cane because it almost looks like Abraham Lincoln...except for the shoulders down...which do not match my understanding of Honest Abe. Canes from the 1800s were all about making a statement, and the folk artist and sailor who created this one opted to stick his nose up at the establishment. Your petty silver melts away when confronted with the underground madness of this unique design. I mean, the carved space between the legs is so genius.

The rare walking cane came out of a Maine estate whose great grandfather was a sailor and known for his folk art walking stick carvings. I was told that a few collectors believe they've seen this style and hand a few other times so this may match the family's story. I was told it likely was created between 1850 and 1890.

The folk art walking cane stands 38 1/2" tall. The snake cane handle measures 4". There is perfect dark brown patina throughout the stick, including slight surface wear. The surface is seriously butter. There isn't a ferrule present. Please see all pics as they are part of the description.

I ship FedEx to street addresses in the continental USA only (no PO boxes). Free shipping on the underground folk art cane.

Simply the best walking stick I've ever owned. And I've owned some good ones.