Pipe bowl

Pipe bowl

Pipe bowl

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Introduction

This relative, a pipe bowl, is composed of red catlinite with lead inlay. Collected by British Army officer Jasper Grant between 1800 and 1809, the origins of the pipe bowl are not certain; however, it is of Great Lakes origin and has probable connections to the Anishnaabe (Ojibwe).

This relative currently resides at the National Museum of Ireland. 

Name of Maker(s): Unrecorded
Maker role: Artist
Nation of Maker: Anishinaabe
Nation of Origin

(Ojibwe)

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular nation(s)

This information was informed by the following resource: Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power: Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.

Date Made or Date Range: 1790-1800
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: Patterns of Power, 1984.

Materials

Red catlinite; lead inlay

Dimensions: 10.1 × 0 × 0 cm
Condition: Smoked
Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Jasper Grant served as commandant of Fort George in the Niagara Peninsula and of Fort Malden at Amherstburg opposite Detroit from 1800-1809.

Current Location: National Museum of Ireland
Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: NMI 1902.360
Collection at Current Location: Jasper Grant Collection
Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: Jasper Grant's grandson, Robert Ussher, donated the collection to the National Museum of Ireland in 1902.
Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1800-1809
Collection Narratives and Histories

Jasper Grant (1762-1812), Anglo-Irish officer who spent 9 years in Canada between 1800-1809. Served as commandant of Fort George in the Niagara Peninsula and of Fort Malden at Amherstburg opposite Detroit. It is likely that his wife, Isabella Grant, played a significant role in the collection of items given her close relationship to Madeline Askin Richardson, the daughter of a prominent fur trader and merchant with extensive ties to the surrounding Indigenous communities.

Source for Provenance information

GRASAC researcher notes from research trip to the National Museum of Ireland.

Exhibition History

In 1984-1985 the Jasper Grant Collection was featured in a special travelling exhibition for the Ontario bicentennial, which was organized by the McMichael Canadian Collection and entitled "Patterns of Power."

Publication History

Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: McMichael Canadian Collection, 1984.

Sources to Learn More

Philips, Ruth B. (1986-87). “Jasper Grant and Edward Walsh: the Gentleman-Soldier as Early Collector of Great Lakes Indian Art.” Journal of Canadian Studies 21(4): 56-71.

GKS Reference Number: 1080
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Pipe bowl. GRASAC ID: 1080. National Museum of Ireland Collection, NMI 1902.360.

Record Creation Context

This record was augmented by Dana Murray on January 6, 2025. It was informed by notes collected during a GRASAC research trip to the National Museum of Ireland, date unrecorded.

Approximate Place of Origin
Marker
Source of Information about Places

This information was informed by the following resource: Phillips, Ruth. Patterns of Power. Kleinburg, On.: Patterns of Power, 1984. Fort Malden is identified on the map as a possible origin for this relative, but this reflects only one place where the relative may have lived. It is not a known place of origin; it is only one location associated with where the collector, Jasper Grant, served in the British Army. 

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