Pipe Stem

1800–1820

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This rounded pipe stem appears to pass through the body of a wolflike animal with brass-tack eyes. The creature is a spirit helper, painted red with green spots. When the pipe bowl was joined to the stem, the animal faced the smoker, and this orientation conveyed a sense of connection between the two. The band of horsehair, bird skin, and feathers on the stem has almost entirely disappeared, worn away from long use.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Pipe Stem
Date: 1800–1820
Geography: United States, Minnesota
Culture: Santee Dakota (Eastern Sioux)
Medium: Wood (probably ash), pigment, brass tacks, bird skin, blue jay feathers (Cyanocittacristata)
Dimensions: Length: 26 in. (66 cm)
Classification: Wood-Implements
Credit Line: Brooklyn Museum, New York, Henry L. Batterman Fund and the Frank Sherman Benson Fund (50.67.85)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing