The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
History
The stone age in North America, vol. 2 of 2
Moorehead, Warren K. (Warren King)
Indians of North America -- Antiquities; Stone age -- North America
FIG. 474 _A_. (S. 2–3.) Front and rear view of pipe from Trigg County,
Kentucky. Hard, compact, dark reddish stone. B. H. Young’s
collection.
]
The bird seems to have been the favorite sculpture, yet there are
frequent portrayals of the frog. I present three of them, all of
sandstone, in Figs. 485 and 486, and a beautiful one, full size, in a
photogravure plate, Fig. 500, from the collection of Mr. F. P. Graves,
Doe Run, Missouri.
[Illustration:
FIG. 475. (S. about 1–1.) Slate pipe, bird effigy. Collection of Mrs.
Nellie Gowthrop, Camden, Michigan.
]
Among the Ojibwa Indians, during the summer of 1909, I observed a number
of stone pipes in use. An excellent opportunity was afforded to study
such among these Indians, as I was on White Earth Reservation,
Minnesota, for seventeen weeks, and came in contact with all the full
blood Indians and many of the mixed bloods. Being frequently in council
with these Indians, I observed their pipes with some care. Except
rectangular pipes of Siouan types, which were inlaid with lead or
silver, most of the pipes were exceedingly crude and far inferior in
every way to the ancient forms. Few Indians owned inlaid pipes. The
major part of all the pipes I observed were common egg-shaped bowls
without stem which were fitted with the common cane or wooden stem, such
as are sold in stores at a penny each. Others were rectangular and
unornamented. Two in use by old medicine-men, one smoked by a Cree
woman, and several others were purchased by me and placed in the Andover
collection.
As these Ojibwa are all in possession of steel tools, one would suppose
that their pipes would be well made. But on the contrary, the art of
making pipes has degenerated among them.
While there are tubular pipes in California, they do not occur in great
numbers, and, as has been remarked, other types of pipes are either very
scarce or entirely absent.
It seems to me that among our American aborigines the finest art existed
previous to contact with European civilization. The finest sculptures on
exhibition in our museums come from sites which appear to be
prehistoric. To him who is skeptical and does not believe these
statements, I suggest that he inspect modern Iroquoian, Siouan, Ojibwa,
and Cherokee pipes, and compare them with the ancient forms such as have
been taken from mounds and graves in southern Ohio, Kentucky, and
Tennessee.
[Illustration:
FIG. 476. (S. about 1–3.) Collection of J. T. Reeder, Houghton,
Michigan. Locality, Tennessee. Materials: soapstone, slate, and
quartz.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 476 _A_. (S. about 1–3.) Collection of J. T. Reeder, Houghton,
Michigan. Locality, North Carolina. Material, soapstone.
]
[Illustration:
FIG. 476 _B_. (S. 3–4.) Steatite, Barbour County, Kentucky. From a
mound on Stoner’s Creek. B. H. Young’s collection, Louisville,
Kentucky.
]
[Illustration:
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