Here's where I really show my ignorance -- what exactly are "trade pipes"
(sometimes called "indian trade pipes" or "native american trade pipes"). The
few examples I've seen published are short, terracotta (not pipe clay with a
smallish bowl. I've seen one with the bowl angled slightly toward the stem.
Is there a typology for these? A date range (on the east coast at least) Were
they produced here or in England (for trade with the natives?)?
Are there examples where the short stem end has a much bigger hole (ca. 8/64)
than the bowl end? Would trade pipes have had longer stem pieces in another
medium attached (a style not uncommon in some contemporary African pipes)?
Is the attached photo a trade pipe?
Thanks guys.
Maureen Basedow
UNC-Wilmington