19th C. Native American Stone Frog Effigy Platform Pipe

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Art & Artifacts of North America

By Artemis Gallery

Apr 28, 2022

Set Reminder 2022-04-28 12:00:00 2022-04-28 12:00:00 America/New_York Bidsquare Bidsquare : Art & Artifacts of North America https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/art-artifacts-of-north-america-9276
Join us for a special auction not to be missed! Collectible Native American art from two major collectors. Antiquity to mid-20th century! Plus fine & folk art, fossils, and more! All legally acquired. All legal to buy/sell. Convenient and professional in-house shipping. Artemis Gallery info@artemisgallery.com

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• Lot Description
  Native American, Southeastern United States, Tennessee, likely Cherokee, ca. 19th to mid-20th century CE. A cute and fabulous effigy stone platform smoking pipe in the form of a seated toad or frog. The amphibian crouches on the curved stem, the limbs in relief against the textured body, and the ridged eyelids raised up before an elongated snout. The surface is scored to create a bumpy texture like a toad's skin, contrasting against the highly polished platform. The effigy faces the same direction as the inhalation hole; the snout and eyes are directly in the smoker's line of sight, forming a spiritual connection with each breath. Tobacco was used in ceremonial contexts, the smoke carrying prayers to the great beyond, helped by the totemic guides on the pipe. Size: 5.75" L x 2" W x 3" H (14.6 cm x 5.1 cm x 7.6 cm)
  
  Smoking pipes played an important role in Eastern Woodland culture, which spanned from sub-Arctic Canada to the southern United States. The earliest evidence we have for the use of tobacco in this area comes from ca. 100 to 200 CE; in addition to tobacco, and often prior to it, we know from ethnohistorical accounts that people smoked a variety of other plants, including dogwood, juniper, sumac, and bearberry. These pipes were not just made for the simple act of smoking, they had a strong religious component as well, and various archaeological sites from the Hopewell period have contained the remains of hundreds of destroyed platform pipes. This later 19th century frog pipe harkens back to the Hopewell tradition that the Cherokee are descended from.
  
  Provenance: private South Carolina, USA collection
  
  All items legal to buy/sell under U.S. Statute covering cultural patrimony Code 2600, CHAPTER 14, and are guaranteed to be as described or your money back.
  
  A Certificate of Authenticity will accompany all winning bids.
  
  PLEASE NOTE: Due to recent increases of shipments being seized by Australian & German customs (even for items with pre-UNESCO provenance), we will no longer ship most antiquities and ancient Chinese art to Australia & Germany. For categories of items that are acceptable to ship to Australia or Germany, please contact us directly or work with your local customs brokerage firm.
  
  Display stands not described as included/custom in the item description are for photography purposes only and will not be included with the item upon shipping.
  
  #171172

  Condition

  Professionally repaired, snout reattached, break line is slightly visible. Minor surface nicks and chips, otherwise excellent condition. Light mineral deposits and find site label on base.
• Shipping Info

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