Lot 723
  • 723

Cane with female leg handle probably Eastern United States, circa 1860

Estimate
5,000 - 7,000 USD
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Description

  • CANE WITH FEMALE LEG HANDLE
  • Whale ivory and whale skeletal bone with ink and nail
  • Cane with female leg handle: 29 3/4 by 3 1/2 in.; Cane with female leg and dark boot handle: 34 by 3 3/4 in.
  • C. 1860
whale ivory and bone with ink and nail.  Together with a cane with female leg and dark boot handle, unidentified artist, c. 1860, mahogany, whale boneand whale ivory with paint, the handle inscribed: Ladies Walking stick / made from whales tooth and mahogany / baleen shoe Unusal 3255-nan [?]/1845 period. 2 pieces.

Provenance

Kristina Barbara Johnson, Princeton, New Jersey
Sotheby Parke-Bernet, "The Barbara Johnson Whaling Collection, Part I," December 11-12, 1981, lot 439

Exhibited

"Hunt for the Whale," American Folk Art Museum, 1968
"American Radiance: Highlights of the Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum," de Menil Gallery at Groton School, Groton, Massachusetts, October 15 - December 15, 2002
"Folk Art Revealed," New York, American Folk Art Museum, November 16, 2004-August 23, 2009
"Compass: Folk Art in Four Directions," New York, The South Street Seaport Museum, June 20-October 7, 2012

Literature

Phelan, Joseph, The Whale Hunters in Pictures, New York: Time-Life Books, 1969, p. 26
Whipple, A.B.C. et al., The Whalers, Alexandria, Virginia: Time-Life Books, 1979, p. 130
American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 330, figs. 297A-B

Condition

Some minor age cracks, chips, and abrasions, appropriate to age and use.
In response to your inquiry, we are pleased to provide you with a general report of the condition of the property described above. Since we are not professional conservators or restorers, we urge you to consult with a restorer or conservator of your choice who will be better able to provide a detailed, professional report. Prospective buyers should inspect each lot to satisfy themselves as to condition and must understand that any statement made by Sotheby's is merely a subjective qualified opinion.
NOTWITHSTANDING THIS REPORT OR ANY DISCUSSIONS CONCERNING CONDITION OF A LOT, ALL LOTS ARE OFFERED AND SOLD "AS IS" IN ACCORDANCE WITH THE CONDITIONS OF SALE PRINTED IN THE CATALOGUE.