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Related Collections

1915.25.5

Description

Argillite ship pipe carved with a man on a horse and a peacock atop the ship's cabin. [CAK 08/06/2009]

Display History

Lent to the Art Gallery & Museum, Kelvingrove, Glasgow, for the HOME OF THE BRAVE exhibition, 14 May - 28 September 1992.

Longer Description

Argillite ship pipe carved with a man on a horse and a peacock atop the ship's cabin. The pipe has been carved in open-work fashion from a single piece of argillite. The base of the pipe is decorated with four motifs: at one end is a series of horizontal lines; nearer the middle are two rectangles cross-sected by angled lines, and a section with small circles and horizontal lines (perhaps representing berries and leaves); at the other end are curving lines that turn upward into a spiral representing a ship's prow. At the front of the ship is a man riding a horse. One of the man's arms is raised forward and his hand contains a cylindrical object which is resting on the horse's ear. The other arm (now missing) is stretched out behind him. Out of the horses mouth come a series of curved forms, perhaps representing steam or flames (the forms are not exactly symmetrical on each side of the pipe). Behind the horse is a square cabin with peaked roof and the interior carved out: one side of the cabin has a small opening into the interior, while the other side appears to have had a larger opening (now partially missing). On top of the roof is a bird with extremely long tail feathers extending down over the cabin to the base of the pipe. [CAK 08/06/2009]

Research Notes

Previous database entries and the PRM label suggest this is only "part" of a pipe or "pieces" of a pipe. However, although broken and partially repaired, the pipe appears largely intact. Neither a bowl nor a mouth piece are evident, however, as ship pipes became more ornate, they became less functional and thus bowls and mouth pieces were rendered decorative and unnecessary. [CAK 08/06/2009]
For additional information on argillite ship pipes, see Robin K. Wright's article "Haida Argillite Ship Pipes" in on pages 40-47 of American Indian Art Magazine, Winter 1979, volume 5, issue 1. [CAK 08/06/2009]

The following information comes from Haida delegates who worked with the museum's collection in September 2009 as part of the project “Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge”:
This pipe was viewed alongside other argillite carvings on Tuesday Sept 15, 2009. Christian White described the scene depicted on the pipe as a man on a horse. He noted that horses were carved very similarly to dogs. Delegates tended to support the identification of this animal as a horse rather than a dog because it is depicted eating 'green stuff' (i.e. vegetation). Moreover, the nose of the horse and its head shape are distinct from the way a dog's head and nose are carved. Nika Collison and Diane Brown also added that the bird is probably a peacock and the leaves are tobacco with berries.
A group discussion about argillite raised the following points. Argillite is only carved on Haida Gwaii. It is a natural resource of the islands, is very brittle and difficult to carve. Black is the most common variety, but rarer red and brown varieties also exist. It requires a skillful hand to carve it successfully. In addition to early trading, argillite served an important purpose during difficult years in Haida communities. Even when not skillfully executed, argillite allowed carvers to record stories and oral histories, like previous generations did in wood before them; they were able to preserve a significant amount of information that might otherwise have been lost. Argillite also provided a medium for Haidas to be satirical about the Europeans they were encountering. [CAK 13/05/2010]

Primary Documentation

Accession Book Entry - 'MRS W. SOLLAS, 48 Woodstock Rd., Oxford Specimens from the collection of the late Prof. H. N. Moseley [her former husband] mostly collected during the voyage of H.M.S. "Challenger"...2 carvings in black stone, Puget Sound, N.W.A.
Additional Accession Book Entry - A note attached to the accession book reads: 'Re-indexed as: B.COLUMBIA, QUEEN CHARLOTTE IS., HAIDA INDIANS. 2 carvings in argillite (black carbonaceous shale) representing (a) white man on horse, etc., and (b) white man with wings, etc. Entered as PUGET SOUND (see below). Early 19th century. Attributed to H.M.S. "Challenger" expedition, 1872-6, but there is no record that the ship visited N.W. America. Argillite occurs on the N.W. coast only in the Q. Charlotte Is. The Haida began carving figures in it in the early 19th cent. and traded large quantities to the mainland tribes for sale to white men. These specimens are based on pipe-stem forms; late the art tended to specialize in miniature totem poles. v. Douglas & d'Harnoncourt 1941: "Indian Art of the U.S." (N.Y.), p.184; and (for technique) Harrington 1949: "Last of the Haida Carvers", in "Natural History" (N.Y.), LVIII, 5, pp.200-5. GEST

There is no further information on the catalogue card. [CW 9 6 98]

Pitt Rivers Museum label - NW COAST HAIDA Q. CHARLOTTE IS undrilled part of argillite pipe in 3 pieces Coll. H.N. Moseley Don. Mrs. Sollas [CAK 08/06/2009]

Related Documents File - The Haida Project Related Documents File contains video of research sessions and interviews with Haida delegates from September 2009 as part of the project ‘Haida Material Culture in British Museums: Generating New Forms of Knowledge'. It also includes post-visit communications that discuss object provenance. For extensive photographic, video, and textual records documenting the Haida research visit as a whole, including but not limited to preparations of objects for handling, travel logistics, British Museum participation, transcribed notes from research sessions and associated public events held at PRM, see the Haida Project Digital Archive, stored with the Accessions Registers. Original hand-written notes taken during research sessions have been accessioned into the Manuscripts collection, in addition to select other materials. [CAK 02/06/2010]