Sioux, northern Plains
1900
Catlinite, wood, porcupine quillwork
Bowl length 9 1/2" (24.1 cm); stem length 21 1/4" (54 cm)
Provenance: New Mexico trade
The buffalo effigy pipe bowl is one of the most significant forms in Sioux pipe-making, the carved animal representing the sacred relationship between the Sioux people and the buffalo that sustained their physical and spiritual life across the northern Plains. Catlinite, the red stone quarried from a sacred site in present-day Minnesota, was the primary material for Plains pipe bowls, its use governed by specific protocols and its deep red color associated with the earth and with blood. Pipes of this type produced circa 1900 represent the continuation of a sacred carving tradition that persisted through and beyond the reservation period.
This pipe features a catlinite buffalo effigy bowl with multiple carved figures along the bowl platform, the stem wrapped in porcupine quillwork in a polychrome banded pattern in red, yellow, and white. The quillwork on the stem is carefully executed, the bands consistent in width and spacing throughout the length of the stem. Provenance traces to New Mexico trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
Sioux, northern Plains
1900
Catlinite, wood, porcupine quillwork
Bowl length 9 1/2" (24.1 cm); stem length 21 1/4" (54 cm)
Provenance: New Mexico trade
The buffalo effigy pipe bowl is one of the most significant forms in Sioux pipe-making, the carved animal representing the sacred relationship between the Sioux people and the buffalo that sustained their physical and spiritual life across the northern Plains. Catlinite, the red stone quarried from a sacred site in present-day Minnesota, was the primary material for Plains pipe bowls, its use governed by specific protocols and its deep red color associated with the earth and with blood. Pipes of this type produced circa 1900 represent the continuation of a sacred carving tradition that persisted through and beyond the reservation period.
This pipe features a catlinite buffalo effigy bowl with multiple carved figures along the bowl platform, the stem wrapped in porcupine quillwork in a polychrome banded pattern in red, yellow, and white. The quillwork on the stem is carefully executed, the bands consistent in width and spacing throughout the length of the stem. Provenance traces to New Mexico trade.
We ship free anywhere in the world, fully insured, packed by hand.
