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Description

Pipe bowl in the shape of a raven lying on its back. Small three-dimensionally carved faces are at both sides of the beak. The pipe bowl, in the bird's stomach, has a copper insert. The stem hole is at the feet.

Specific Techniques

Hardwoods were used on the pipes because they were stronger and did not burn. The density of the wood gives better detail, allowing for really deep and crisp lines [Dempsey Bob – Tahltan/Tlingit, 2019].

History Of Use

With the introduction of commercial tobacco by Europeans in the late 18th century, Tlingit and Haida carvers began to create an imaginative range of wooden pipes. These usually represented clan crests, and were meant for honoured guests to use at ceremonial occasions, including feasts and potlatches that honoured the deceased. The pipes were often made of walnut and other non-native woods which, along with their metal components, were recycled from trade rifles that were beyond repair. During smoking, this large, heavy pipe would have been held as though the raven is lying on its back; the pipe bowl with copper insert rises from the bird’s belly, and the stem hole doubles as a small human’s open mouth at the raven’s feet.

Narrative

Lt. George T. Emmons collected this pipe, presumably in Alaska, and in 1910 sold it to George Gustav Heye, who founded the Museum of the American Indian, New York. In 1972 that museum exchanged the pipe to art dealer James Economos, and it was acquired by the Dominique and John de Menil Collection. Eventually resold again, it was purchased by MOA donor Elspeth McConnell.