Human Effigy Pipe
Returned to lender
This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.Dating back more than two thousand years, the famous Adena pipe is the oldest object in the exhibition, and it was recently named Ohio’s official state artifact. Like other ancient Woodlands forms, the pipe endured over many centuries and became a central part of Plains culture. Sacred tobacco was a feature of all historical Plains ceremonies, and smoking was equated with prayer.
This pipe, used to smoke tobacco, is also a carving, perhaps of a mythical hero or honored ancestor. He is dressed in ceremonial regalia, including a feather bustle at the back—the same form found on male powwow dancers today.
This pipe, used to smoke tobacco, is also a carving, perhaps of a mythical hero or honored ancestor. He is dressed in ceremonial regalia, including a feather bustle at the back—the same form found on male powwow dancers today.
Artwork Details
- Title: Human Effigy Pipe
- Date: 100 BCE–100 CE
- Geography: United States, Ohio
- Culture: Adena or Hopewell
- Medium: Pipestone
- Dimensions: Height: 7 7/8 in. (20 cm)
Width: 2 5/8 in. × 2 in. (6.6 × 5.1 cm) - Classification: Stone-Implements
- Credit Line: Ohio History Connection (A1200/10)
- Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing