t’aas k’ii (Walking Stick)

Made as a wedding gift for the son of William Henry Collison, whose wedding took place in 1900.

Walking stick with a serpent twined around the cane. The serpent has two circular abalone shell inlaid eyes with a curvi-linear line behind each eye and a thin mouth on its head while its body has a central linear band of u form scales with a tiny diamond-shaped pattern at either side around the rest of its body. The ivory handle is carved as an eagle's head with two double outlined circular eyes with three curvi-linear lines behind each eye, a curved open beak. There is a section at either back side of the eyes, each of which has a central ovoid that has a circle in circle connected to a sideways u form within, a split u above, and a pair of sideways u forms within a larger one at the back side. Behind, on top in the middle of these two section, there is a pair of circles in circles, a split u within a larger split u, and three u forms. Along either side of the neck, there is a circle in a circle, a split u, and a pair of split u's. There is a silver band with a sea lion design at the base of the ivory head handle. The sea lion has a circle, in a circle, in a tapering oval eye, surrounded by an ovoid, a curling nostril, an open mouth showing four triangular upper teeth, a body that has dashes within, and other decorations that include circle in circle in ovoids and u forms. Diamond-shaped and triangular abalone shell inlaid pieces go around an angular upraised base at the base of the silver band. Ten circular abalone shell inlaid pieces go around the length of the cane.