A PLAINS QUILLED WOOD PIPE STEM AND CATLINITE PIPE BOWL

YANKTON SIOUX

Details

A PLAINS QUILLED WOOD PIPE STEM AND CATLINITE PIPE BOWL
YANKTON SIOUX
Of elongated flat form, constructed of wood, sinew, thread, dyed orange horse hair and natural, orange and brown dyed porcupine quillwork, decorated with finely wrapped quillwork composing a design pattern of horizontal bands; the pipe bowl constructed of catlinite and of calumet form with cylindrical shank tapering to a diamond shaped prow, flaring cylindrical bowl
39¼ x 4¼in. (99.7 x 10.8cm.)

Provenance

Yankton chief, Padanin Apap

Presented to Father Pierre-Jean De Smet, 1857, and gifted to the ancestors of the current owners.

Literature

Peterson, 1993, p. 133

Exhibited

Washington State University, Sacred Encounters, Father De Smet and the Indians of the Rocky Mountain West, 1993

Lot Essay

"In Plains Indian religion, the calumet, or peace pipe, is the visible sign of communion with the Great Holy, or Great Spirit, and is the equivalent of the Eucharist in the Christian tradition. This pipe belonged to the Padanin Apapi, Strikes the Ree, a prominent Yankton chief, who presented it to De Smet in 1857," (Peterson, 1993, p. 133).

Padanin Apapi (1804-1888) was the most prominent Yankton chief of the period. The French text, written by De Smet on the pipe stem, indicates that he presented this pipe to a Belgian benefactor in April 1860.

Ted Brasser March 14, 2000

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