Returned to lender The Met accepts temporary loans of art both for short-term exhibitions and for long-term display in its galleries.
Pipe Stem with Wampum
Eastern Plains or Western Great Lakes
Not on view
Both traditional materials and those introduced through trade with Euro-Americans are featured on this elaborate pipe stem. Attached to the front portion of the stem is the scalp of an ivory-billed woodpecker, a bird widely associated with warfare in the Plains and Woodlands regions. Plaited porcupine quillwork with hourglass designs—combined with silk, cotton, and wool fabrics acquired in trade—serves as a wrapping. Five strands of wampum (white shell beads), symbols of peace to Indian nations, hang from the ends.
Due to rights restrictions, this image cannot be enlarged, viewed at full screen, or downloaded.