Lot 122

Mississippian Blackware Effigy Pipe - Zoomorphic Figure

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Lot 122
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Mississippian Blackware Effigy Pipe - Zoomorphic Figure
Mississippian Blackware Effigy Pipe - Zoomorphic Figure
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Mississippian Blackware Effigy Pipe - Zoomorphic Figure

Estimate: $600 - $900

Starting Bid: $300

(0 Bids)
by Artemis Fine Arts
June 25, 2026 9:00 AM MDT
Live Auction
686 S. Taylor Avenue
Suite 108
Louisville, CO, US 80027

Native American, Mississippian culture, ca. 1000–1500 CE. A modeled ceramic smoking pipe whose burnished dark surface coalesces into the head of a stylized animal, its rounded muzzle, drilled eyes, and pinched ears emerging from the bowl with a sculptor's economy. The elbow form pairs an upright bowl with a horizontal stem socket, the two channels meeting within the body to draw smoke through the creature itself. Fashioned by hand from local clay and fired in a reducing atmosphere to achieve its smoky gray-brown tonality, the pipe served ritual and social ends, tobacco smoke carried prayers and sealed alliances across the Mississippian world. Effigy pipes of this kind transformed an everyday implement into a vessel of breath and spirit, the animal perhaps a clan totem or guardian. The compact, tactile form rewards handling, its worn contours speaking to long use. Size: 2.3" W x 3.8" H x 3.9" D (5.8 cm W x 9.7 cm H x 9.9 cm D).

The Mississippian peoples (ca. 800 to 1600 CE) built earthen mound complexes across the American Southeast and Midwest, from Cahokia near present-day St. Louis to towns along the Mississippi and its tributaries. Smoking pipes occupied a central place in their ceremonial life: tobacco was a sacred plant, and the act of smoking ratified treaties, accompanied councils, and accompanied the dead. Elbow pipes carved or modeled with animal effigies, owls, frogs, dogs, and other beings, are among the most expressive survivals of this tradition, blending utility with cosmological meaning.

Please note this item may fall under the Safeguard Tribal Objects of Patrimony Act and may not be eligible for international shipping. Native American, Alaska Native, and Native Hawaiian objects are only eligible to ship within the United States.

Provenance: private Colorado, USA Collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Flushing, New York and Ridgeway, Colorado, USA collection, acquired in October 2017

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Item # 203073

  • Condition: Good. Repairs to rim of bowl with some chipping and small losses along visible break lines. Light surface wear with some nicks as shown. Liberal remaining detail.

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Bid Increments
From: To: Increments:
$0 $299 $25
$300 $999 $50
$1,000 $1,999 $100
$2,000 $4,999 $250
$5,000 $9,999 $500
$10,000 $19,999 $1,000
$20,000 $49,999 $2,500
$50,000 $99,999 $5,000
$100,000 $199,999 $10,000
$200,000 + $20,000