Scholar's Staff, 17th century
Unknown artist, Chinaexpand_more
Huang-hua-li hardwoodexpand_more
Gift of Ruth and Bruce Daytonexpand_more 2002.150
On View in Gallery 216expand_more
Carved from precious hardwood with a dragon-head finial, this tall, walking staff would have likely belonged to a scholar-official. Walking sticks were habitually carried by literati recluses while enjoying nature, and they are often seen in landscape paintings. Daoist mythology included a tradition of magical staffs which transformed into dragons, and it might be that the dragon head carved at the top of this staff refers to the dragon transformation myth. Most walking staffs were simple pieces of bamboo or a gnarled branch, and no other carved huang-hua-li staff has been recorded.
Details
- Title
- Scholar's Staff
- Role
- Artist
- Accession Number
- 2002.150
- Curator Approved
This record has been reviewed by our curatorial staff but may be incomplete. These records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you notice a mistake or have additional information about this object, please email collectionsdata@artsmia.org.
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