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
Not on view
This rounded pipe stem appears to pass through the body of a wolflike animal with brass-tack eyes. The creature is a spirit helper, painted red with green spots. When the pipe bowl was joined to the stem, the animal faced the smoker, and this orientation conveyed a sense of connection between the two. The band of horsehair, bird skin, and feathers on the stem has almost entirely disappeared, worn away from long use.
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