Garden of Good and Evil Walking Stick
Date1998
Mediumcarved and stained wood and brass
Dimensions43 1/2 × 2 1/4 × 2 1/4 inches (110.5 × 5.7 × 5.7 cm)
Credit LineMuseum purchase with funds donated by Asa Davis.
Object number1999.4.3
Copyright© Estate of Willis Jones Sr.
The images and text contained on this page are owned by Telfair Museums or used by the Museum with permission from the owners. Unauthorized reproduction, transmission or display of these materials is prohibited with the exception of items deemed “fair use” as defined by U.S. and international copyright laws.Label TextRaised in Savannah, Willis Jones, Sr. and his work represented an important link to craft traditions practiced in the city during the early twentieth century. As a child, Jones lived near the Savannah River where he observed men practicing traditional crafts like boat building, fishnet weaving and cane carving. He specifically remembered seeing men carving walking sticks with images of alligators and birds. In his youth, Jones also made twig furniture which he sold near the old city market. As an adult Jones served in the Army and later became a seaman shipping out to ports in South America and elsewhere. While at sea he began carving wooden ship models and walking sticks. His canes include images of reptiles, human heads and sea life. He even ventured into pop culture, carving a cane with an image of the iconic Bird Girl sculpture featured on the cover of bestselling book Midnight in the Garden of Good and Evil.
