catlinite; silver

This elbow pipe is carved, with and attached figure in the elbow carved of single piece of catlinite. There is a silver band around the neck of the figure, a silver disc on navel of figure, and silver covering stem end of bowl.

A small figure.

Darlene Johnston suggested that the image on the bowl could represent Nibaanaabe, a being known to the peoples of the Georgian Bay-Lake Huron region. There is a nindodem (totem) derived from these beings. Alan Corbiere noted that Nibaanaabe is the current spelling and literally means "being of sleep (male is implied)". Nibaanaabe-kwe is mermaid. The often stated idea that Ojibwe is non-gender biased loses its legs when it comes to these words. (Even Anishinaabe refers to the male by default. One has to say Anishinaabekwe.) Another name for these water beings is maanaabe (maanaabe-kwe for mermaid), this is the word we use on Manitoulin Island. The etymology of this word seems to imply ugliness, which, interestingly enough is contrary to western mythology, in which the mermaids are beautiful 'sirens' who coax men (sailors) out to sea. Perhaps they have this aspect for Anishinaabeg as well, I don't know. But maanaadzi 'she/he is ugly'; maanaadendam 'he she is unhappy" (ugly thoughts?). Perhaps the name is maanaabe because of the consequences not the appearance.

In response to the museum's note that the pipe bowl is "Matched with a stem, but it does not seem that they go together - see E.1935.19/1"
Alan Corbiere noted that it is not unusual for pipes and stems to have to be made to fit together so this bowl could belong to the stem with which it is associated. Through the work he has done, he has had to put pipes together, take them apart and clean them and then put them back together again. Sometimes the stem does not fit snugly after repeated use and the connection becomes loose so adjustments have to be made when putting stem to bowl.

Based on museum documentation and style.

Item to be cited by catalog number, collection and institution.

This record was created during a GRASAC research visit to The Hunterian Museum and Art Gallery, University of Glasgow, April 2007.

On-site researchers: Cory Willmott, Laura Peers, Ruth Phillips, Keith Jamieson, Darlene Johnston, Alan Corbiere, Sally-Ann Coupar.