Lot 101

Woodland Carved Granite Bird Effigy Platform Pipe

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Lot 101
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Woodland Carved Granite Bird Effigy Platform Pipe
Woodland Carved Granite Bird Effigy Platform Pipe
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Woodland Carved Granite Bird Effigy Platform Pipe

Estimate: $800 - $1,200

Starting Bid: $400

(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, Woodland culture, ca. 1000 BCE – 1000 CE. A bird rendered in mottled granite, its form reduced to the essentials: a beaked head turned alertly forward, a swelling body, and a tapering tail that lengthens into a smooth conical mass. The speckled brown and black stone has been ground and polished to a soft luster, the surface still bearing the patient abrasion of stone-on-stone working. A drilled perforation marks the bowl, while the bore would have channeled smoke through the tail. Carved as a smoking pipe, the object likely served ritual or ceremonial purposes, the avian subject perhaps embodying a spirit messenger or clan emblem. Among Woodland peoples, the pipe was a vessel of diplomacy and prayer, smoke carrying intention skyward. The economy of the carving, all contour and weight, gives the small effigy a quiet, brooding presence. Size: 3.9" W x 6.8" H x 1.6" D (9.9 cm W x 17.3 cm H x 4.1 cm D); on included custom stand: 7.1" H (18.0 cm H).

Effigy pipes are among the most evocative artifacts of the Eastern Woodlands, where pipe-smoking carried profound social and spiritual weight. The act of smoking bound participants in agreement, sealed alliances, and opened communication with the spirit world, the rising smoke understood as a conduit for prayer. Avian effigies recur across Woodland and Hopewell traditions, birds being natural intermediaries between earthly and celestial realms. Working hard granite without metal tools demanded enormous labor, pecking and grinding the stone over many hours, which underscores the value invested in such ceremonial objects.

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

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Item # 203152

  • Condition: Very Good. Weathering with nicks and abrasions to stone. Possibly once had eye inlays. Otherwise, intact and very nice with good remaining form and scattered earthen deposits.

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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