Brooklyn Museum Collection

This is a flat, wooden pipe stem, painted blue-green at the bowl end. The end nearer the mouth piece is decorated with a combination of colored lines which are narrow strips of braided quillwork wrapped around to encircle the flat stem. These strips are carefully planned to create a striped design from the combination of narrow bands as they are stacked or lined up one after the other. The design is red, white, blue, and black on one side and different on the reverse, consisting largely of black triangles tipped with short horizontal bands and offset by long horizontal bands. The bands are colored blackish-purple, orange and white. A hide strap is covered with long white bird quill wrapped fringes. Red horsehair is tied on at both ends of the quillwork and bird scalps are also attached.

This is a red catlinite (pipestone) pipe stem.

This highly decorated stem is the center of what would have been a three part pipe.First a mouthpiece, then this section , then a bowl, probably steatite or catlinite (pipestone).

This is the center piece from a three part pipe that would have consisted of a mouthpiece, then this section and then a bowl, probably catlinite (pipestone) or another soft stone.

Special Improvement Fund

Sioux. Beautiful very long pipe stem. Catlin painted people holding these long pipes. Ceremonial use is for agreement meetings, visits and trade.

Also has a number 33 on it. This pipe stem has very nice Sioux quillwork, very tiny and tight woven bands.

The ash wood pipe stem is carved, pierced and painted with red and blue-green paint. It is decorated with horsehair, a bird scalp, and a piece of silk ribbon. The original Jarvis inscription reads, "Indian Pipe Menominee."

This is a long, wood pipe stem. Half way along it is straight and undecorated. In the center a decorated section of porcupine quills, horsehair and bird scalp preceeds a twisted form.