Sioux. <em>Chief's Pipe Stem</em>, early 19th century. Wood, pigment, porcupine quills, horsehair, bird scalps, buckskin, 33 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 3/4 in. (85.7 x 7 x 1.9 cm). Brooklyn Museum, Henry L. Batterman Fund and the Frank Sherman Benson Fund, 50.67.115. Creative Commons-BY (Photo: , 50.67.112_50.67.113_50.67.115_group_glass_bw.jpg)

Chief's Pipe Stem

Artist:Sioux

Medium: Wood, pigment, porcupine quills, horsehair, bird scalps, buckskin

Geograhical Locations:

Dates:early 19th century

Dimensions: 33 3/4 x 2 3/4 x 3/4 in. (85.7 x 7 x 1.9 cm)

Collections:

Accession Number: 50.67.115

Image: 50.67.112_50.67.113_50.67.115_group_glass_bw.jpg,

Catalogue Description:
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.

Brooklyn Museum