Previous image preload Next image preload
Back to catalog
Lot 100
image_0 image_1 image_2
Woodland Period Steatite Platform Pipe - Eastern North America
Woodland Period Steatite Platform Pipe - Eastern North America
image_0 image_1 image_2

Native American, Woodland Period, ca. 1000 BCE – 1000 CE. A finely carved platform pipe shaped from soft grey steatite, its long horizontal base swelling gently toward a rounded prow while a cylindrical bowl rises near the midpoint like a chimney from a hearth. The surface bears the splotchy pale mineral bloom characteristic of long burial, with the underlying stone showing through in warm taupe tones where the patina has worn thin. Two opposing channels meet within the body: a horizontal smoke conduit drilled the length of the platform to receive a reed or wooden stem, and a vertical chamber hollowed downward from the bowl to intersect it.

Platform pipes of this form are among the most iconic ritual implements of the Eastern Woodlands, refined to a high art during the Hopewell florescence of the Middle Woodland period and continuing in simpler iterations into later centuries. Carved from steatite (soapstone), they were prized for the ease with which the stone could be shaped with antler and stone tools, and for the cool, even draw the dense mineral provided when smoke passed through it. Such pipes were employed in ceremonial contexts, the rising smoke understood as a vehicle of prayer, diplomacy, and communion with unseen powers. The deliberate restraint of this example, devoid of effigy ornament, suggests a working ritual object rather than a presentation piece, its eloquence resting entirely in proportion and the patient labor of its making. Size: 1.5" W x 3.3" H x 7.4" D (3.8 cm W x 8.4 cm H x 18.8 cm D).

Provenance: private Colorado, USA Collection; ex-private Denver, Colorado, USA collection; ex-private Flushing, New York and Ridgeway, Colorado, USA collection, acquired May 2015 via Affiliated Auctions, Tallahassee, Florida, USA; ex-private collection

SHIPPING: We coordinate worldwide shipping in-house through specialist international forwarders experienced with fine art and antiquities customs manifests. International buyers must confirm, prior to bidding, that their country's customs authority will accept the item. All duties, taxes, clearance fees, and any costs arising from customs delays, seizures, re-export, returns, or loss in transit are the buyer's sole responsibility. Artemis assumes no liability for items refused entry, detained, or lost after export. We cannot ship ancient items to their country of origin (Egyptian to Egypt, Greek to Greece, etc.).

PAYMENT EXCEPTION: For clients not previously established with Artemis, payment for all gold, precious metal, and gemstone lots must be made by bank wire transfer or certified bank check/money order, without exception.

Item # 203035

  • Condition: Excellent. Some areas of nicks and chipping commensurate with age. Otherwise, intact and excellent with encrustations to interior.

Accepted Forms of Payment:

ACH, American Express, Discover, MasterCard, Money Order / Cashiers Check, Personal Check, Visa, Wire Transfer

Shipping

Auction House will ship, at Buyer's expense

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

Artemis Fine Arts

You agree to pay a buyer's premium of 30% and any applicable taxes and shipping.

View full terms and conditions

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