Hard stone pipe- authentic or modern?

[Gnomey]

Hi there, I was hoping someone can tell if there are any dead giveaways on if this pipe is modern/fake/reproduction? I never buy artifacts, but spotted this and couldn't pass it up since it says it was found in Kenton Co, Ky, where I was born and raised! I have doubts about its age, but unsure. what do you guys think? Any input is appreciated, thanks for your help!

 

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[smokeythecat]

I am not an expert but due to the pitting sure looks old to me, although I've been told an acid wash (don't know what kind), will pitt the material.

 

[Tnmountains]

Any way to make out the name of the finder on the bottom? Looks hopewellian. Is it soap stone? I tried googling his name but its very unclear. See if he ever had other pieces sold and documented maybe.

 

[mn9000]

There indeed appears to have been a JT Craven in Kenton Co, KY between 1860 to 1918

 

[Treasure_Hunter]

Pictures are not the best, but looking down inside the bowl there appears to be signs of primitive drilling.




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[Gnomey]

SmokeytheCat- Thanks. I believe the pitting is actually deep pecking-I scoured the Internet looking for other artifacts made this way, and can't find any similar texture on a pipe or stone effigy. This is one reason I'm curious if its modern. I'm wondering if it was unfinished/unpolished since the legs have been smoothed or maybe left that way to show pattern on the frogs body...

 

[Gnomey]

TNmountains- it says JT Craven. It was listed as being steatite, a type of soapstone. I probably shouldn't have titled my post as hardstone...since its soft. I *just* bought it though and it needs to be mailed to me, so I don't have it in my hands yet to verify the material.

 

[Gnomey]

Mn9000-Awesome! Thank you! This is exciting. I grew up on the border or Kenton and Boone county. We found arrowheads in our yard as kids playing in the dirt.

 

[smokeythecat]

Soapstone is very easy to carve, but it contains a lot of times bits of iron. The iron over time rusts out and leaves cavities. We have a lot of it around here. Newer soapstone pieces don't have that pitting.

 

[Gnomey]

Here are some more pictures if they help. Thanks for all the input so far.

 

[Americus]

Very interesting piece. Thanks for sharing.

 

[monsterrack]

JMO the pitting looks to be by design since I don't see the same on the legs. The only two flags I can see from a photo is #1 the pitting, most pipes I have seen have a smooth texture. #2 I see no wear on the sides were it would have been held. The drilling and all the craving on soapstone can be done away with by a number of methods. If I had bought it and wanted to know for sure if it is a real artifact, I would spend the money to have it looked at by an expert that stands behind his name. It does not cost very much to have it looked at. It's a good looking craving and if it's real it's worth a lot of money.

 

[The Grim Reaper]

I am torn on this one. The pitted sections just don't look right to me, but the drilling and gouging out of the bowl is correct for that style and age. It's hard to say for sure by just a picture.

But, just to show you how easy it is to cave a Frog out of Pipestone, I did this one a few years ago out of local Pipestone found here in southern Ohio.

 

[Charl]

Most hardstone tools, and most soapstone artifacts, such as pipes, are pecked and ground into shape. I think the pecking we are seeing is how the piece was pecked into shape, but never ground past that pecking. I don't believe all those pits are from where iron impurities weathered out. Yes, steatite often has iron and other impurities. Looking at the bottom of the broken soapstone bowl, which sat in salt water for long ages, one can see where iron impurities weathered out sitting in the salt water. But that is not what you're seeing with the pipe. IMHO, that's the pecking produced when making the pipe, and it has not been ground smooth. But, I know I have very, very, very few pecked and ground artifacts that don't still show some of the pecking used to manufacture the tool. Even ground and polished, most pieces will also still show some degree of the original pecking. Here also is a pipe that shattered while being made. Showing the rough, pecked surface, prior to grinding down past the pecking. I don't know if the piece is ancient or modern.....