Human Effigy War Pipe

Undated

Not on view

Returned to lender

This work of art was on loan to the museum and has since been returned to its lender.

This pipe was present at the beginning of the Wind Gens, one of many clans in Osage ceremonial organization. An abstract face appears at the bottom of the bowl, and it may belong to a supernatural being that has assumed human form. Clan members would have used this pipe, along with materials comprising a sacred bundle, to honor sacred beings and procure their blessings. An origin story, songs, and ritual procedures were central to the ceremonies.

Artwork Details

Overview

Exhibition History

Title: Human Effigy War Pipe
Date: Undated
Geography: United States, Kansas
Culture: Osage
Medium: Stone (calcite), pigment, cane, wood, sinew, native-tanned leather, glass beads, copper, native cordage, human hair
Dimensions: Bowl Length: 2 3/8 in. (6 cm)
Stem Length: 22 in. (55.9 cm)
Classification: Miscellaneous
Credit Line: National Museum of Natural History, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., Department of Anthropology (E276133-0)
Curatorial Department: The Michael C. Rockefeller Wing