Pipe Bowl and Effigy Stem
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
1880–90
This ritual tobacco pipe consists of a separate pipe bowl and effigy stem dating from 1880–90. The work is attributed to an unknown artist of the Southern Cheyenne (Tsistsistas) culture from the Central or Northern Plains. It is constructed from wood and catlinite, with the stem fashioned from light-coloured carved wood and the bowl shaped from red catlinite.
The long, flat wooden stem features four raised effigy carvings along its upper surface, depicting animal forms such as horned creatures and turtles. One end narrows into a cylindrical mouthpiece fitting, while the opposing end terminates in an insertion peg. The accompanying catlinite bowl has an angled form with a cylindrical bowl opening and an adjacent socket designed to receive the stem. In terms of dimensions, the stem measures 4.5 by 54 cm (1 13/16 by 21 5/16 in.), while the bowl measures 10 by 21 cm (3 15/16 by 8 5/16 in.). White ink inscriptions appear on the reverse of both components: the bowl is marked on the top-middle verso with "P+8b [underlined] / GD", and the stem is marked on the bottom-middle verso with "P+8a [underlined] / GD".
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
The pipe is classified as a religious and ritual object. It was published in Evan M. Maurer's 1977 exhibition catalogue, "The Native American Heritage: A Survey of North American Indian Art," for the Art Institute of Chicago, and later entered the museum's collection as a gift from the Powell family in memory of Father Peter Powell and Virginia Raisch Powell.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Wood and catlinite
- Dimensions
- Stem: 4.5 × 54 cm (1 13/16 × 21 5/16 in.); Bowl: 10 × 21 cm (3 15/16 × 8 5/16 in.)
Technical characteristics
- Inscriptions
- Inscribed pipe bowl verso, top-middle, in white ink: "P+8b [underlined] / GD". Inscribed stem verso, bottom-middle, in white ink: "P+8a [underlined] / GD".
- Maker recorded
- Artist unknown (Southern Cheyenne, Tsistsistas), Central or Northern Plains
- Place recorded
- Central Plains
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Art Institute of Chicago collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Pipe Bowl and Effigy Stem
- Museum object number
- 2023.1381a-b
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.