can anyone better identify this? native black bone tomahawk pipe ?

stealthycat

Full Member
Feb 17, 2012
152
259
Arkansas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT Pros
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
It is from a family member, I do not know how it was acquired or anything but rumor was possible acquire in Alaska in 1940's. It isn't heavy like rock, it has a bone feel to it ( I hunt and know what antler/bone feels like) but I don't know what animals in North America have black bone except maybe bison ?

Its a pipe I'm almost sure, right?

20170116_090951.jpg 20170116_090936.jpg 20170116_090944.jpg
 

Upvote 0

Molewacker

Bronze Member
Feb 9, 2015
1,537
2,552
Yacolt WA
Detector(s) used
EQ 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
Gosh, wild guess here - Dyed vertebra of a local species? Looks like lighter areas in bowl - and the shape totally reminded me of vertebra projections - Ash, ink, etc could be used for color.
 

OP
OP
S

stealthycat

Full Member
Feb 17, 2012
152
259
Arkansas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT Pros
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I wish I could add more ... the grand and great grandparents of my wife had old money. Passed down to her Dad were some of the coolest things ever. 1800's furniture I remember, glassware and china, I remember a fish bowl with polar bears carved from ivory somehow attached around the top of the bowl and they had their paws dipping into the water. A solid bronze tiger, a very large picture thing of copper that radiated from the center out with a dozen elephants also from copper attached to that background - it was incredible. I remember maybe a half dozen whale oil lamps that were so cool. There was a fire .... 9 years ago I guess? It literally destroyed almost everything.

This survived because it was in my possession - and I can't even remember why I was holding on to it. Very little remains to pass down .... he was the only son of an only son and died 3 years ago Christmas day. He was one son and that son has no sons as of yet.

Anyway ... its authentic. I also have ... I think 3 Indian rugs that are very very old and exceptionally good condition that were his wedding gift to me because I had commented on them once about how awesome they were. He also gave me a belt made from elephant hide ..... I was going through things yesterday and this piece, I do not know exactly what it is and thought I'd post here
 

Molewacker

Bronze Member
Feb 9, 2015
1,537
2,552
Yacolt WA
Detector(s) used
EQ 800
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
could it be ... soapstone?

Very well could be as it was a local material in AK, low conducting of heat and often used in pipes. You have the bowl, the stem was often drilled ivory.

Google Inuit pipes and soapstone for comparison of material - you felt it was bone at first due to weight.

Good luck~!
 

monsterrack

Silver Member
Apr 15, 2013
4,419
5,814
Southwest Mississippi
Detector(s) used
Garrett, and Whites
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
It reminds me of ice age antler or bone, if it is fossilized you can stick a lighter to it and it wont put off a bad smell, if it does it's not fossilized bone. The inside of the bowl does not look like soapstone, but that would be a spot to take a sample. Thanks for posting:icon_thumleft:
 

jamey

Silver Member
Feb 3, 2007
3,069
1,924
Primary Interest:
All Treasure Hunting
ya.what monsterrack said it looks like some very old bone the way the outside looks,old bone cracks like that
 

joshuaream

Silver Member
Jun 25, 2009
3,170
4,481
Florida & Hong Kong
Stealthycat,

Take this with a grain of salt, but I think you have a pottery copy of an Intrusive Mound Pipe, also occasionally called a Keel Pipe or a Handled Pipe. I'm nearly 100% positive about the pottery piece, the style of pipe is just a guess.

The material. The third picture you posted shows marks that are related to polished or burnished pottery. You can google burnishing pottery to see it, and you'll notice the similar marks. You wouldn't really have any reason to do it to stone, or a way to do it easily. Beyond that the holes don't match how you'd work stone. I don't know that bone would make a great pipe without some type of metal insert (it smells horrible when it burns and I can't image it would taste much better.) Here is a quick example I found of burnished pottery.

Burnishing.jpg

The style is more of a guess. There is an extremely rare, but well documented, type of pipe that had a "tomahawk" fin on it, always made from black steatite. The fin or keel was probably for holding the pipe. Here are a couple of pictures and a link. How old is your piece? No idea, but I don't think I've seen an authentic burnished pottery pipe from the eastern US.

Central States Archaeological Societies :: GRANDPA'S PIPE: LOOKING AT THE CLUES

grandpas_pipe_left.jpg

Pipe.jpg
 

joshuaream

Silver Member
Jun 25, 2009
3,170
4,481
Florida & Hong Kong
Sorry, I had a bit more time and checked another reference and found these:

Powhatan.jpg

They are Pamunkey Pipes from Virginia, they are one of the groups of the Powhatan tribe (think Pocahontas.) The made a lot of peace pipe type souvenirs back in the 1930's, so it might date back that far.
 

OP
OP
S

stealthycat

Full Member
Feb 17, 2012
152
259
Arkansas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT Pros
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
that looks very much like what I have ... I'd love to know if its original or copy (as I would with these native rugs I have)
 

OP
OP
S

stealthycat

Full Member
Feb 17, 2012
152
259
Arkansas
🏆 Honorable Mentions:
1
Detector(s) used
AT Pros
Primary Interest:
Metal Detecting
I'll get them out and post another thread on them - everything my inlaws had seemed very authentic to me, but never know right?
 

Top Member Reactions

Users who are viewing this thread

Top