Producer unknown to us
Peace pipe/pipe tomahawk
Americas, United States, Great Plains
1880–1920
Catlinite, wood; carved
Collection context unknown to us
Handed over to Museum für Völkerkunde Dresden from Naturkundemuseum Görlitz in 1959
52615
A “peace pipe” (calumet) in the shape of a pipe tomahawk. The blade and pipe head are made of red catlinite (pipestone). This material is mined in the quarries in Pipestone, Minnesota, into the 21st century. Commonly, the pipe tomahawk’s blade or pipe would be attached to the top of the shaft, which doubles as the pipe tube. Neither is the case here; both can simply be plugged on to the shaft. Therefore, this item was not suitable for use as an impact weapon, but was most likely made for representational purposes or as a souvenir.
This object came to Dresden from Naturkundemuseum Görlitz in 1959 as part of the GDR museum profiling campaign. The museum in Görlitz wanted to give up its ethnographic exhibits, as they did not fit into its collection profile and, therefore, were rarely used in exhibitions.
Frank Usbeck