Cane with dog head handle, attributed to "Schtockschnitzler" Simmons (act. 1885-1910) Berks County, Pennsylvania, circa 1900

dogwood root with paint with brass ferrule.

Harry B. Hartman, Marietta, Pennsylvania, 1972

"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

American Radiance: The Ralph Esmerian Gift to the American Folk Art Museum, p. 364, fig. 329B

Wear on surface of shaft, tiny loss to varnish on snout.
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.

Canes with animal-head handles were particularly popular among nineteenth- and early-twentieth-century carvers. If they were made from saplings, handles frequently followed the shape of root patterns. Alternatively, handles could be carved separately and attached to the shaft. These differing techniques resulted in a wide range of interpretations, as seen in these five examples.

The cane, with a handle in the shape of a rounded, snub-nosed dog head with leaf ears, is identified with the work of "Schtockschnitzler" Simmons. By tradition he is thought to have been a German immigrant who wandered parts of Berks County, Pennsylvania, with a pack of finished and unfinished canes on his back with which he bartered for food, drink, and a night's stay. He had two nicknames, "der Alt" (the old one) and "der Schtockschnitzler" (the cane carver), but his given name is unrecorded. While he is best known for his bird canes and bird trees, his dog and horse canes are equally distinctive.¹ -R.S.

¹ For biographical information, see Richard S. Machmer and Rosemarie Machmer, "The Birds of 'Schtockschnitzler' Simmons." Historical Review of Berks County 39 (spring 1974): 58-59. 79, and Richard Machmer, Just for Nice (Reading, Pa.: Historical Society of Berks County, 1991), p. 76. For related examples, see Machmer Just for Nice, p. 20, fig. 19, and George H. Meyer, American Folk Art Canes: Personal Sculpture (Bloomfield Hills, Mich.: Sandringham Press, 1992), p. 47, fig. 60.