Beaver Effigy – Hopewell Pipe – Jersey County, IL

Beaver Effigy – Hopewell Pipe – Jersey County, IL

A rare beaver effigy pipe made of red pipestone by a Native American from the Hopewell Culture that features a carved beaver that faces the smoker. When in use, the person smoking would look directly into the eyes of the beaver, creating a direct personal ritual connection.

The Hopewell Culture pipes are meticulously crafted artifacts created by the Indigenous peoples during the Woodland period (circa 200 BC–AD 400). The defining feature of a Hopewell pipe is its flat or slightly curved rectangular base which functions as the stem and is drilled horizontally to the center for smoking. This effigy pipe bowl is carved into an incredibly realistic beaver effigy with a hollow bowl that opens out of the beaver’s back and was sculpted from red pipestone using flint blades. This master Indigenous artisan applied engravings to represent the tail and toes of this beaver. (minor chip on the platform otherwise in excellent condition with great surface patina. 2 ½” x 4”

Hopewell Pipes with a collection history (found in Jersey Co., IL) are incredibly rare because so many are now in museum collections.

Provenance:

Dale Van Blair Collection, Belleville, IL.;

Floyd Ritter, Collinsville, IL;

Gordon Barlow, Swoope, VA (1977)