Need help with possible GREAT find

[wildcatman71]

My nephew found this while walking through a creek hunting for arrowheads. This was found in an area where arrowheads and flints have been found in the past...but I am not so sure this is Indian. I am thinking older yet. PLEASE help if you know anything about this. It seems to most likely be a smoking pipe. It is carved out of some sort of stone....and has a neat face carved into it, almost looks like an Aztec face. Any ideas Thanks!

 

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[rjw4law]

First glance I thought pipe, then not so sure....what could it be.

 

[Silver Searcher]

A very interesting piece which I can only make a guess with a pipe of some sort looks as though there are signs of burning on the piece nice find

SS

 

[mcmich]

Awesome find, loks like a pipe to me...might want to send these folks some pictures:

http://www.mitchellmuseum.org/pipe-exhibit/#undefined

Keep us posted!

 

[CRUSADER]

Clearly a pipe bowl, but the date is a mystery to me. Seems likely native but its not my bag

 

[Hardy]

I Might be wrong , But I would guess that it is a pipe from the MOSOPELIA TRIBE

 

[SCMDing]

Here is an Indian Pipe with a face on it. I would think that this is a similar one.

http://www.worthpoint.com/worthopedia/old-cherokee-indian-stone-carved-effigy-pipe

 

[Silver Searcher]

This one has a face on similar to yours :P native American

SS

 

[JimBeHuntin']

Nice artifact wildcatman71 ... you should post this in the Treasurenet American Indian Artifact Forum (http://forum.treasurenet.com/index.php/board,89.0.html). I'm sure some of the folks who frequent there can help you with an ID ... again congratz on a great find!

 

[wildcatman71]

This may be helpful....this was found in southern Indiana in Pike County. Thanks for the replies so far....I have sent pics to a couple of Native American websites.

 

[pointdlr]

I am an avid collector/dealer of prehistoric American artifacts. I am not 100% positive, but fairly sure you have a late prehistoric pipe dating to 1200-1600 AD. It is clearly a pipe. The only thing that is throwing me off is the material. I can't identify it. It is not prehistoric pottery, and doesn't appear to be sandstone which would be common materials for late prehistoric pipes. It kinda reminds me of the clay used on early historic pieces, but I am hoping to be wrong on this. The piece is much more valuable as a prehistoric object. The style says late prehistoric(except for the flaired mouthpiece), but I have seen Iroquois and other related tribes with historic pipes that roughly fit the style. The face on the front says prehistoric all the way. It shows hand drilling, and excellent patination. Without holding it, I am only half on a limb saying it is prehistoric. I don't want to advertise my website on this post, but send me a personal message and I will forward you a link. I live in Cincinnati, and I am well versed with Southern Indiana artifacts.
Picture is of a late prehistoric sandstone effigy(I think turtle) pipe that approximates yours in some ways.
Regards,
Jon Dickinson.

 

[NUKE345KV]

very cool it does look like a pipe

 

[Curious The George]

You have a fairly common clay pipe made by a pipe maker or pipe factory to sell to anyone who wanted a clay pipe to smoke. I have attached photos of a similar pipe. Main difference is that the turban on your guy has been knocked off.

These pipes were made by the thousands from the late 1700's until the early 1900's. They were shipped by the barrel full from pipe factories to sellers. One of the more famous pipe factories was the Pamplin Pipe Factory in Virginia.

Each maker had their own molds so there is some variation in the design, but the theme is the same. The little guy was a Turk or Egyptian. A lot of times the figure is called an Indian but that is erroneous. Tobacco was long associated with the middle east. Just recall the Camel cigarette with the palm trees and pyramids on them.

You can clearly see the pipe mold marks on the stem area of your pipe. While it is possible an Indian smoked it, it is just as possible a poor dirt farmer did as well.

The material is stoneware clay. And it was glazed, you can still see the remnants of the glaze on your pipe.

 

[The Seeker]

Looks to be real old...........like in the 1000 years old! lets hope!!!

 

[Curious The George]

Here is one in my collection made by one of the Moravian potters in Salem, NC. It was likely made in the late 1700's up to around 1850 or so.

This one has a little fancier stem decoration and the turban is a little taller. But, as I said this figure was a common theme amongst the pipe factories of the day. You'll see variations of the design but the same guy with a turban from many different molds.

 

[Swingit]

.....interesting

 

[Tnmountains]

I thought trade pipe maybe. I have some as well but I did not see the seam marks curious the george spoke of? I see the face is worn and its plausable to be a mass produced pipe.
It is still a very great find and old compared to many coins in the USA.
HH
TnMountains

 

[West Jersey Detecting]

It kind of reminds me of a pipe I owned as a teen growing up in the '70s.

I would smell it to see if you can catch any hint of cannabis sativa.

 

[hurricane dale]

i searched the net and it's coming out at as ''bill clinton's pot pipe from college'' the one he said he didnt inhale from..lol

 

[changin-tymes]

Hey thats a nice find, i have a similar one right here, hold on, knummmmmph knummmph, er now, what was I saying again?