Pipe bowl

Pipe bowl

Pipe bowl

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Introduction

This relative, a catlinite pipe bowl, was collected by British Army officer Jasper Grant during his military service in Canada between 1800 and 1809. Although the precise origins of this relative are not certain, it is believed to be from the Great Lakes, possibly Anishinaabe.

This relative currently resides in the National Museum of Ireland.

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

catlinite suggests Anishinaabe rather than Hodenosaunee origin

Date Made or Date Range: 1800-1809
Summary of Source(s) for this Relative

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

Materials

Red catlinite

Techniques or Format

has been polished and rubbed with grease

Motifs and Patterns

bowl has nine facets and shank end has eight, also neoclassical detailing

Dimensions: 11.5 × 0 × 0 cm
Condition: not clear whether it has been smoked, possibly a little, but it could also have been cleaned
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: 1902.361
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 on July 22, 2010.

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: 26785
How to Cite this Item

Maker, Name unrecorded. Pipe bowl. GRASAC ID: 26785. National Museum of Ireland Collection, 1902.361

Record Creation Notes/Observations

This record was augmented by Dana Murray on November 14, 2024. It was informed by notes and images collected during a GRASAC research trip to the National Museum of Ireland on July 22, 2010. Participants included Alan Corbiere, Ruth Phillips, Crystal Migwans, Rachel Hand, and Nikolaus Stolle, who were assisted by Padraig Clancy and Emma Crosby.

Approximate Place of Origin

42.107, -83.1132

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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