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These canes are made for walking
Published on 18-01-2015
When you think ‘walking canes’ you probably think of elderly people (or possibly Fred Astaire), but did you know they can also be art? Over the centuries, walking canes have been used as weapons, symbols of status or power, fashion accessories and ceremonial accoutrements. An important part of global cultural and artistic heritage, they’ve evolved from being useful tools to an art form in their own right.
Neolithic hunters never left home without a stick for obvious survival reasons, and the world’s earliest shepherds in the Middle East used hooked sticks to herd their flocks. In early tribal culture, canes were also used to reflect a man’s position. The higher the rank, the larger the cane so the chief had the most elaborately carved and embellished stick. In ancient Egypt everyone from peasants to the pharaoh had a walking cane, with different designs and patterns reflecting the rank and occupation of the owner.
Walking canes or staffs can also be highly symbolic and even spiritual. Royals and church leaders use them as a symbol of position and authority. Mystics and monks use them to focus awareness in the journey towards transcendence. Organisations and fraternities use them in ceremonies and rituals. They can even be handed down as family heirlooms.
During the medieval 14th century, the walking cane became a fashion statement that could also double as a handy hiding place for money, jewels and secret weapons. The trend continued right up until the golden ages of Art Deco and Broadway in the 1920s and 30s, when they were so popular there were even rules of etiquette for how one should use one’s cane in polite society.
It’s fair to say that in Australia today, walking canes are definitely not fashion accessories; they’re mostly used as therapeutic walking aids or other practical purposes like hiking. But as we said in our collectibles blog, some people love to collect fascinating objects and unusual or ornate walking canes are popular collectibles. It doesn’t get much more ornate than African walking canes.
The common African walking cane originated from African fighting sticks, and is used for self-defence in the African bush against wild and dangerous animals. A symbol of prestige and tokenism, the walking cane has huge ceremonial importance and is also a stunning example of African art.
Walking canes are an integral part of rural African culture, typically made from ebony, mvuli or sese wood. Their highly decorated handles are carved with great skill by master craftsmen into forms inspired by the regional cultural heritage and of course, Mother Nature. Some of the most popular of these unique wooden sculptures feature carvings of the Big 5 animals: lions, elephants, buffalo, leopards and rhinoceros.
Our artists and artisans in the Motherland hand-carve intricately detailed decorative walking canes to depict these beautiful animals and other key features of African heritage. When you own an African walking cane, you possess a piece of African culture that is an individual work of functional art.
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