Native American, central/midwestern United States, Eastern Woodlands, ca. 1000 to 1600 CE, found in Todd County, Kentucky. A charming smoking pipe in the form of a bird lying on its back. Hand-carved from mottled tan-hued stone with dark inclusions, the pipe body depicts a lengthy bird with wings pinned against its sides, its feet bent and upturned atop the breast just beneath the tip of the aquiline beak, and a slender head with drilled eyes. Using the pipe requires turning it upside down to reveal the receptacle and mouthpiece located atop the bird's back, and the flared tail feathers serve as a handle for gripping the implement. Size: 6.125" L x 1.1" W x 2.9" H (15.6 cm x 2.8 cm x 7.4 cm)
Provenance: private Brevard, North Carolina, USA collection; found in Todd County, Kentucky
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#171093
Condition
Minor nicks and abrasions commensurate with age, with light softening to some finer details, and light encrustations within some recessed areas, otherwise intact and very good. Nice surface smoothness throughout. Old inventory label on side of body.