an inlaid lead Mandan pipe

[larson1951]

I have a friend that lives up north quite a ways where the knife river meets the missouri river
this had mandan. arikara, and hidatsa tribes in the area
he found this pipe about 60 years ago when he went to check the cows
it had rained heavy the night before
he found it on a cow path
i have seen it a while back and finally got a chance to hook up with him and take these images
larson1951

 

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[ohio]

Wow.......I guess I need to get some cows........catlinite cows. Super piece. Could that be pewter?

Chuck

 

[Cannonman17]

AMAZING piece! Very lucky to find something like this, even with the drill-through.. Nice!

 

[larson1951]

it is lead rather than pewter
can any one out there estimate the value??

 

[joshuaream]

AMAZING piece! Very lucky to find something like this, even with the drill-through.. Nice!

Those extra holes are pretty common on ancient pipes, and I don't think entirely accidental. Think of it like a carburetor, they could cover/uncover it with a finger when they wanted a little more air in their mix.

 

[larson1951]

and all along I thought carburetors were invented in the 1960's
lars

 

[Americus]

What a fantastic find. Thanks for sharing.

 

[DrGrip]

IMO this thing would be priceless as a find! To me the hole looks like a rub through, but then again thinking back to my college days a "carburetor" was nice to have now and then!

Question though, would something like this be "carved" from a single source, or molded and then fired? Also, how did they do the inlays? I understand the carving out first, but to pour the molten lead into the pipe had to be this side of genius given the time period...

Grip

 

[larson1951]

thanks grip, it was carved from a single piece of pipestone or catlinite
I can't figure out how they got that lead to fit in they grooves they cut and then get it to stay put
I still wish I knew what this thing is worth
lars

 

[larson1951]

wow, thanks j brown
that is very interesting
thanks again,
lars

 

[pickaway]

holy chit... killer piece...

 

[A. Grignon]

Could be pewter. This one I posted last fall had pewter inlay.

 

[Worthy55]

Nice pipes guys! 8) 8) 8)

 

[Cannonman17]

AG, Jeepers! If you ever want to trade for that let me know!

 

[flintdigger]

Nice looking pipe, I agree it could be pewter.

 

[Get-the-point]

thanks grip, it was carved from a single piece of pipestone or catlinite
I can't figure out how they got that lead to fit in they grooves they cut and then get it to stay put
I still wish I knew what this thing is worth
lars

Larson, if you get the chance to look that over again see if there is any residual flares in the molding. I am wondering if they did this in a mold or like soldering a pipe where he just poured the lead and rolled the pipe to get the form and tightness to it letting it build up. Actually the second thought sounds more along the lines of how they would "POSSIBLY" make the inlay. I have seen examples of catlinite pipes fetch several thousand. Nice inlaid examples but without the hole in the bottom(Although flawess in my book other collectors would consider that a flaw) have seen several thousand at auction. Just the style and type stone it was made of, is what sets the price. Usually Catlinite(like the one pictured) usually fetch the most. The other hardstones would also fetch a decent price if all there.
That hole at the bottom would not have served as a carborater as it would have pulled the embers into the smokers lungs from the sudden rush of air. They had no screens..........lol........That hole tells a story though. Think about it," They were smoking, the Indian sets the pipe down, it hits a rock, and then the hole. I'm thinking it possibly could have happened later in life though and by something else. Outstanding piece your friend found. I would be going to his farm regularly.............................GTP

 

[The Grim Reaper]

That's a great looking Pipe Steve. Have you shown that before? I have seen that Pipe before somewhere. I have a guy from Wisconsin whi is going to send me some Catlinite and I can't wait to get it. I doubt I make a Pipe from it since I don't smoke. I'll probably try to do some more animals out of it.

 

[archer66]

Beautiful piece....

 

[larson1951]

yes thanks,
i posted this in april
a friend in stanton found it

 

[brandywine]

I was perusing one of my elite society type magazines the other day. A publication that was not a place where you would expect to find Native American items. Only things for "the spoiled". Anyhow I came across this offer among "nifty and unique gifts for the collector who has everything" and remembered a post by Larson and the Mandan Pipe.
I thought that these two are incredibly similar.

Can you picture an Indian dipping their feather quill into this inkwell and making an entry into their journal? Anyhow, I say that in jest.
I hope it sheds light on the topic.


Description: "Catlinite inkwell with lead inlays, Northern Plains 19th century 3 1/4" x 1 7/8"
$350...


And, by the way, I checked up on it and it has sold.

Mark
www.markdance.com