Smoking pipes, also known as calumets or chanupa, were some of the most prized possessions among almost all Native American tribes. The two most common styles were the larger ceremonial calumet and a smaller personal pipe. Pipe bowls were generally carved from sacred pipestone, also known as Catlinite (named for the artist George Catlin, who spent much time living among and painting the Indians of the northern plains), which is found in only one place in Minnesota. The stone bowls were often decorated with inlaid designs of lead retrieved from old bullets; today silver is usually used. Native Americans to this day are still making pipes out of stone extracted from these sacred quarries. Pipestems were most often carved from ash or sumac and decorated with eagle feathers, dyed horsehair and porcupine quillwork. Later, after the Europeans introduced beads,
Pipes
Painting by George Catlin, circa 1830
beadwork often replaced quillwork .
Our pipes are based on several original examples seen in museums and the paintings of George Catlin. They are made from the traditional Catlinite, in most cases inlaid with silver. The pipestems are made from ash and wrapped in beadwork and buckskin, and further decorated with hand-painted simulated eagle feathers and red dyed horsehair. Each pipe is meticulously handcrafted in the highest quality using only the best original materials available.
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Item #04
Calumet
Bowl Quill work Stem
This is the personal pipe of the artist, James Burton and is the most historically accurate pipe he has made to date. Although not for sale, a similar pipe can be made to order. This is a large ceremonial pipe, or calumet and is based on several antique pipes seen in John Baldwin's excellent book "Red Pipes: Indian smoking pipes of the American frontier". The bowl is hand carved from genuine Minnesota pipe stone, or catlinite, with the front prow carved in a hexagonal profile, and with 4 rings carved on both the bowl and the shaft - representing the 4 directions. The pipe stem is carved from ash and, as with originals, has a taper along it's length and features a burned petroglyph design (thought to originate from the Great Lakes tribes), and is rubbed to nice shine with linseed oil. Just like many original pipe stems, this one has a section of dyed and braided porcupine quills, a technique that is rarely used today because it is so time consuming and there are few people around who know how to do it. Usually called quill plaiting, this difficult form of quill work involves plaiting the quills around two lengths of thread which are gradually wrapped around the pipe stem with different colored quills added in a particular order to complete the finished pattern. At either end of the quilled section there are bands of mallard duck neck and head feathers which are a beautiful iridescent green, this decorative element is very common on early pipes, and is secured with real deer sinew and hide glue. Hanging from the stem is a hand-dyed silk ribbon and a bunch of red-dyed horse hair, another very often used design element seen on antique pipes of the Great Plains cultures.
Not for sale
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Item #01Bowl Stem Front view
The above pipe is a large calumet designed for ceremonial use. The overall length is 30 inches; the silver-inlaid Catlinite bowl measures 4 inches high by 6 inches long. The ash stem features a hand-burned traditional "vertebrae" design.
Sold
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Item #02
Bowl Stem Front view
The above pipe is a slightly smaller personal pipe with an overall length of 24 inches. The Catlinite bowl is carved in the traditional "elbow" style and has a silver inlay; the bowl measures 2.5 inches high by 4 inches long. The ash stem features genuine rabbit fur and is hung with hand-painted imitation red-tailed hawk feathers.
In stock Price: $1,200 Buy now
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Item #03
Bowl Stem Front view
The above pipe is 25 inches long overall. The "T" bowl is 2.5 inches high by 5 inches long and is inlaid with silver in the traditional "four winds" style, representing the four directions. The ash stem features a hand-burned spiral design. This is a medium-sized pipe designed for personal use.
In stock Price: $1,300 Buy now
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