Materials

Catlinite

Techniques or Format

Carved. There is a hole in the middle of the underside, which would have been used to hold feathers. Discoidal.

Other Notes

This pipe is very similar to one in the Oronhyatekha Collection.

From Annual Archaeological Report of Ontario for 1887. Provincial archaeologist David Boyle wrote: "It is perfectly symmetrical in form. The broad side is little fore than one-fourth of an inch in thickness. The back consists of a strong square-sided rib (the wide end of which is shown in the engraving) of the same depth or thickness all along, but having its two sides converge almost to a point at the lower end." See publication history below for full citation details.

Dimensions: 13 × 1 × 3 cm

Condition: Good.

Reasons for connecting this relative with particular times, materials, styles and uses

Archaeological Reports of Ontario

Current Location: Royal Ontario Museum, Toronto, ON, Canada

Catalogue, Accession or Reference Number: NS28

Collection at Current Location: Normal School Collection

Date of Acquisition by the Institution: 1912

Who the Institution Acquired the Relative or Heritage Item From: The ROM acquired the pipe through a transfer from the Normal School (previously known as the Canadian Institute Museum).

Date Relative was First Removed or Collected from its Community Context: 1847

Collection Narratives and Histories

The pipe was taken from an ossuary in the late 1840s, located on the farm of Mr. Ed. Beecroft, lot 19, concession 8, Nottawasaga, Ontario.
Approximately 40 years later, it was given to David Boyle, who was curator of the Canadian Institute Museum (what became the Normal School Collection).
In 1933, the Normal School shut down and the collections were transferred to the Royal Ontario Museum.

Source for Provenance information

Archival records, published Archaeological Reports of Ontario, and museum documentation.

Publication History

Sketch & comment appear in the Annual Archaeological Reports of Ontario: David Boyle, "Notes on Specimens," in Annual Report of the Canadian Institute, Session 1886-87, being part of Appendix to the Report of the Minister of Education, Ontario, 1887 (Toronto: Warwick & Sons, 1888) p. 28-29.

Also appears in AARO 1888-9: 8; AARO 1907: 26 Plate 3

Related language items in the GKS: pwaagan otsogwahdaˀ

GKS Reference Number: 25984

How to Cite this Item

Unknown artist, pipe. Currently in the Royal Ontario Museum, NS28. GRASAC item id 25984.

Record Creation Context

Record created during a GRASAC trip to Royal Ontario Museum December 15 to 19, 2008, and updated by Cara Krmpotich on November 30, 2023 with information shared by ROM staff.

Record Creation Notes/Observations

Present in the archaeology lab: Heidi Bohaker (HB), Ashley Casey (AC),Stacey Loyer (SL).