The Cleveland Museum of Art
Collection Online as of April 16, 2024
Pipe or Tobacco Bag
c. 1870
Location: not on view
Did You Know?
Glass and metal beads were imported from Europe.Description
The shape of this bag indicates it was made to hold tobacco and one of the pipes that played a paramount role in the lives of Plains nations. Smoking is a means of prayer—the smoke carries thanks and entreaties into the other-than-human realm—and pipes were lit to seek protection and guidance on new endeavors, during alliance and dispute negotiations, to mark life’s milestones, and in many other situations. By the late 1800s, when this example was made, such bags were a standard element of prestigious men’s formal dress regalia.- Native North America Basket Rotation (Native North America rotation). The Cleveland Museum of Art (organizer) (December 4, 2021-December 4, 2022).Gallery 231 - Native North American Textile Rotation. The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH (organizer) (August 26, 2014-July 29, 2015).
- {{cite web|title=Pipe or Tobacco Bag|url=false|author=|year=c. 1870|access-date=16 April 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}
Source URL:
https://www.clevelandart.org/art/1937.871