Record 35/43 |
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Description
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| Broad, flat stem (probably made from one piece of wood, did not inspect beneath the quill decoration), slight diamond cross section. Surface is smoothed and unpainted with natural finish and slight polish. Approximately one-half of stem near the mouthpiece is indented (cut into stem width 2 to 4 mm) and wrapped with dyed, braided quills. Quill decoration (now faded) is a red/orange field with two blue triangles (with a blue line at triangle peak and an interior yellow rectangle in triangle body) on one face at both ends; two purple(?) encircling bands inset with two yellow squares joined by a yellow line; and a central "+" or cross, blue with yellow center and ends, on one face. Stem width varies from 3.4 cm at mouthpiece to 3.5 cm at bowl-end. Bowl-end is cut square and has a protruding cylinder (4.1 cm long and slightly tapered, 6 mm diameter at stem and 5 mm at end) that is centered in end of stem (2 mm in from both faces and 7 mm in from both edges of stem.) The end with the mouthpiece has cut/whittled corners, the cuts continue in a curve that straighten out and extend 1.5 cm to form a narrow spatulate mouthpiece 6 mm in height (height of stem at stem end is 11 mm.) The pipe-head is brown-red pipestone, one side much lighter than other; T-shaped with circular cross section and flat bottom; smoothed and polished (smoothing striations still visible.) The bowl is cylindrical and has accreted black resins on interior and on top of rim.. The shank in front of the bowl is faceted and forms a diamond cross-section prow. From the Arthur P. Kannenberg collection. He recorded the following in his catalog: "A complete and genuine Indian calumet made by the Arapaho Sioux at Cheyenne, WY. This pipe was presented to Captain John H. Laabs while out west by a Sioux chief for the settlement of a dispute between the Indians by Mr. Laabs. A very rare relic." Received from Mrs. J. H. Laabs, Oshkosh, WI. Original catalog card for L300-19 (2175APK): Great calumet, Sioux. Locality = Mandan, South Dakota (North Dakota?). Arapaho, Sioux. "In 1890, the Sioux Indians in Minnesota became uneasy about the ruling laid down for them by the U. S. Indian office, a number of soldiers were sent out to explain the situation to them. John Laabs of Oshkosh, WI was one of these. He made such an impression on an old chief from the Arapahoe Sioux tribe that he gave his pipe to Mr. Laabs as a remembrance of this occasion." |
Pipe, Calumet
-Owners and Cultural Affiliation
-Copyright Oshkosh Public Museum
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ~ For access to this image, contact scross@ci.oshkosh.wi.us
COPYRIGHT INFORMATION ~ For access to this image, contact scross@ci.oshkosh.wi.us