ANTHROPOMORPHIC BIRD WALKING STICK
Probably France, circa 1880

36 1/2" H x 1 1/2" D x 1 1/2" W

A whimsical walking stick featuring a carved wooden figure of a gentleman with the head of a bird. The avian face is crisply carved in bone with inset eyes and set atop a finely carved body. He is dressed up in 19th-century gentleman's attire with a tailored coat and folded arms. A shield-form is inlaid with a bone cartouche carved with the letter "N." The shaft is a beautifully naturalistic, the upper portion above the bone joint being smooth and tapering fruitwood while the lower portion is carved from a lighter hue hardwood that steps down twice into a ferrule at the tip.

Walking sticks of this type, combining naturalistic carving with satirical or anthropomorphic subjects, were particularly popular in France during the late 19th century. This example captures both humor and refinement, reflecting the period’s fascination with animal caricatures of human society.

Condition: Beak of the bird has broken off. Mismatch between the shafts in the upper 1/4 and the lower 3/4, perhaps signaling a marriage. Minor surface wear, slight age shrinkage to shaft, discolored ferrule, otherwise well preserved.

ref. 509FUN15P