Skip to main content
ProvenanceJonathan Holstein, Cazenovia, New York
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.41.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 25.
Culture
Seneca (Haudenosaunee)
Pipe
Date1600-1699
MediumClay
DimensionsOverall: 3 3/4 × 1 1/2 × 6 1/2 in. (9.5 × 3.8 × 16.5 cm)
Object numberT0027
Credit LineGift of Eugene V. and Clare E. Thaw
Photograph by John Bigelow Taylor, NYC
Label TextThe use of effigy pipes in Haudenosaunee culture extended far back. Possibly it was the product of cultural exchange with the Hopewell peoples to the south. The ritual use of pipes and tobacco at important events, religious ceremonies and as traditional medicine was widespread in North America. The effigies on these pipes faced the smoker, providing a focus for the smokers’ thoughts. The pipes may also have represented personal guardian spirits who acted as intermediaries between man and the supernatural, supporting the meditative qualities of tobacco inhalation. Tobacco was considered a gift from the Creator, with the smoke carrying prayers directly back to the Creator.ProvenanceJonathan Holstein, Cazenovia, New York
BibliographyVincent, Gilbert et al. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2000, p.41.
Fognell, Eva and Alexander Brier Marr, eds. Art of the North American Indians: The Thaw Collection at the Fenimore Art Museum, 2nd ed. Cooperstown, New York: Fenimore Art Museum, 2016, p. 25.
On View
Not on view
