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THBConfederate POW Cotton Stone Folk Art Pipe Carved at Alton Prison, Illinois, by CSA Private, W.H. Willis, Robertson's Regimen
About Seller
6270 Este Ave.
Cincinnati , OH 45232
United States
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About Auction
LiveFeb 21, 2017 - Feb 22, 2017
Cowan's Auctions dawnie@cowans.com
View Full Catalog (290)
- Lot Description
Confederate cotton stone, folk art pipe carved by identified Alton, IL POW. The pipe's distinctive material and style of carving is similar to other examples made by prisoners serving time at Alton as well as Gratiot Street Prison in St. Louis, MO, although the shape of this pipe is slightly different than other examples we have encountered.
The full length of the left side is incised carved with a large flying Confederate "stars and bars" flag on flagpole (the top of that flagpole protruding above the flag). The flagpole is topped with a decidedly unusual, tiny motif that may possibly be an oddly designed head of an eagle, although this cannot be confirmed. Three lines of text are very neatly incised carved in upper and lowercase letters along the full length of the side, State Rights. / Made by W.H. Willis / A prisoner of war. Right side, full length of the pipe carved (on bowl area) with a large palmetto tree and long, three coiled striking snake at its base (all incised carving) with two lines below the trunk in upper and lowercase script-like lettering, Don’t Tread on Me. Full length of shank and small part of the bowl carved in two lines using similar, fancy incised lettering, Captured at Milford, Mo. / December 19, 1861. The top side of that same shank carved in similar upper and lowercase script-like incised lettering, Alton, Ill. / March, 1, 62. Full front of bowl incised carved with large, well made "stars and bars" Confederate shield, with small riband crosswise on its front lower half inscribed, CSA. With two small crossed Confederate flags on poles above the shield. On the underside of the shank and extreme bottom of the shank (where it turns upward on front), the following large, fancy upper and lowercase lines state, Made of a stone taken from the / old (?) McDowell’s College. Dec. 24, 61. Maximum width 2.75 in.; square shaped bowl height 1.625 in., approx. 1.25 in. on each side.
Carving was an important part of survival at Alton and Gratiot and resulted in the development of many skilled carvers within the prisons. Confederate soldier William H. Willis of Saline County, MO was held at Alton prison (Illinois) in the spring of 1862. He carved stone pipes with impressive designs. Even though he left Alton in 1862, the carving culture he helped begin lasted at the prison until 1865. According to Lea Catherine Lane, this particular pipe "adopted earlier Revolutionary symbols to evoke the parallels with individual rights and rebellion. A massive protest in Savannah, Georgia included a banner with a coiled rattlesnake and the Revolutionary War motto 'don’t tread on me'" (“A Marvel of Taste and Skill": Carved Pipes of the American Civil War, 2015, p. 79). This is the only known example of Willis' work; therefore, it is difficult to determine the impact he had on carving culture at the prison. Undoubtedly, he was one of its best.
Provenance: N. Flayderman and Co., Inc.Some chips in pipe, including near base of bowl, as well as corners and edges. One chip in text, on "b" in "Made by." Wear inside bowl indicates this was used. Few scratches on surface.Condition
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