Walking Stick

Date1846

Artist/Maker Thomas Purkins (1791-1855)

OriginAmerica, Virginia, King George County

MediumHolly wood and ink

DimensionsOverall: 37 x 1 1/4in. (94 x 3.2cm)

Credit LineMuseum Purchase

Object number1981.708.1

DescriptionThe stick is basically straight, having no curved or angled hand grip at the top. It tapers from a 1 1/4-inch diameter at top to a 3/4-inch diameter at bottom. Beginning at the top, it is decorated with the following integral carvings: (1) lion's head, behind which begins a (2) fish, below which is a (3) spread eagle. Below the lion's head are (4) a cat with an arched back, (5) a scallop shell, and (6) a squirrel. Midway down the stick is a (7) hound's head, below which to right and left are (8) a chicken and (9) snail shell. Below the preceding are (10) a cow's head, flanked by (11) a snake's head, and below and to the left is a (12) ram's head, above (13-14) two birds. Below the latter a (15) peacock stretches vertically, and on the back side from the peacock appears (16) a duck. Below the latter is (17) a pig, and below the peacock is (18) a goose. Several of the above have details of colored ink added to their relief carving; (17), for instance, has a head in relief but a body drawn in ink, (15) is colored with inks, etc.
Label TextTowards the end of his life, Virginian Thomas Purkins turned his attention to the creation of numerous elaborate canes. His earliest known walking stick of 1845 is comparably thick, roughly carved and not smoothed down – but it shares the basic vocabulary of animal and objects that characterize his later work. The two Purkins' carvings owned by Colonial Williamsburg represent early examples, made before his move from Prince George to Stafford County, Virginia. Purkins’ talents were recognized even after his death. An 1876 newspaper article from the “Daily Review” of Wilmington, North Carolina describes one walking stick in great detail. The “very curious cane” dated 1847 was on view in the State Library in Virginia. Like many of Purkins's canes, it bore an inscription attesting that the wood was cut from Wakefield, the birthplace of George Washington. Intriguingly, the subsequent description of the piece matches closely with this cane, CW 1984.708.1, but as Purkins favored certain carved elements, it may simply represent the commonalities among his creations.

The images on Purkins' wallking sticks include an assortment of animal heads such as dogs, horses, pigs, cows, snakes, birds, frogs, lions, and lizards; unusual images appearing on some include a saddle, female breasts, human faces, and flowers. Many individual carvings, such as the oyster and scallop shells, reveal Purkins' considerable talent for rendering naturalistic forms.

This walking stick is embellished with three-dimensional carvings depicting a lion's head, fish, eagle, cat. scallop shell, squirrel, hound's head, chicken, snail shell, cow's head, snake's head, ram's head, peacock, duck, pig, goose, and two birds. In addition to the text inscription near the top, details drawn in colored inks include the chicken's legs, the pig's body, and the peacock's feathers.
InscribedOn the side below the scallop shell, the stick is inscribed in ink, "Made by Thomas Purkins/King George County VA/1846".
ProvenanceFound in Pennsylvania by an unidentified Iowa dealer; Louis and Mary Collen Picek, West Branch, Iowa; J. Roderick Moore, Ferrum, Va.