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Walking stick with a female nude and a Breton sabot on the handle

ca. 1888–90
On view at The Met Fifth Avenue in Gallery 825
Gauguin made five trips to Brittany between 1886 and 1894. He liked the region's "savage, primitive" quality. His perception is embodied in the carving of this walking stick, with its snake-entwined shaft and handle in the form of a female nude supporting a Breton wooden shoe. The sole of the shoe slides open to reveal a hidden compartment.

Artwork Details

Object Information
  • Title: Walking stick with a female nude and a Breton sabot on the handle
  • Artist: Paul Gauguin (French, Paris 1848–1903 Atuona, Hiva Oa, Marquesas Islands)
  • Date: ca. 1888–90
  • Culture: French
  • Medium: Boxwood, mother-of-pearl [Pinctada margaritifera (black-lip pearl oyster)], glass, and iron
  • Dimensions: Overall (confirmed): 36 1/2 × 2 1/16 × 1 11/16 in. (92.7 × 5.2 × 4.3 cm)
  • Classification: Sculpture
  • Credit Line: Bequest of Miss Adelaide Milton de Groot (1876-1967), 1967
  • Object Number: 67.187.45a, b
  • Curatorial Department: European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

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