Untitled (Snake Trivet)

Unidentified · late 19th or early 20th century

From Africa to Haiti to the American South, snakes are powerful characters in belief and lore. Their imagery abounds in stories and art forms, from canes to toys to sculptures inspired by gnarled tree roots. Snakes live everywhere in rural America, but the fear these reptiles instill, particularly the venomous varieties that thrive in southern climates, has long been both real and symbolic.