Lot 135: Hand-Carved Folk Art Hardwood Walking Stick with Lateral Spur

This hand-carved walking stick or folk-art staff is fashioned from a single piece of dark-stained hardwood, possibly blackthorn or hawthorn. The head of the stick is worked with a series of tiered, faceted geometric rings that create a diamond-patterned effect, terminating in a rounded pommel. A natural branch offshoot has been shaped into a prominent, faceted lateral spur. The long, tapering shaft retains the organic form of the original branch but has been smoothed and finished. The item is consistent with regional folk-carving traditions of the British Isles, in the manner of a traditional shillelagh or blackthorn walking stick. No maker marks, characters, or inscriptions are visible on the surfaces of the item. This artifact dates to the late 19th or early 20th century.