PIPE: SHAMAN TUBE - STYLE, SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, (A RALPH GLIDDEN FIND)
Item History & Price
| Reference Number: Avaluer:48203 | Color: Black/Brown |
| Material: Stone | Maker: Indigenous people of Santa Catalina |
| Original/Reproduction: Original |
PIPE: SHAMAN TUBE-TRUMPET STYLE, SANTA CATALINA ISLAND, SOUTHERN CALIFORNIA (ARALPH GLIDDEN FIND)Length: 5 ¾”Smoke-Hole Diameter: 1 ¾”Mid-Section Height: 1 ½”Weight: 9.9 ozThis is the SECOND Shaman Tube Pipe yet acquired by this site! According to a Long Beach private collector, itwas purchased in the 1960s from the notorious Catalina relic hunter, RalphGlidden. It was found on Catalina Islanda few miles north of Avalon and appears to be CHUM...ASH.This tube pipe is exquisitely crafted from a dark stone. It has symmetrical, “trumpet-like” ends witha distinct double-hand ridge at the center. A remnant shiny patina is still visible. Some soil pitting, abrasion and minor dingscan be seen throughout the artifact. Center hole extraction marks are evidenton both ends and within the stone piece.This particular type of artifact has several names: a tube pipe and/or a cloud blower. The style suggests it dates to 800 BP. Just as there are several names for this typeof tube pipe, there are also several theories on what they were used for. The most popular has it that tribal shamansused these pipes to blow smoke on a warrior’s injury.The indigenous people of Catalina were well known for craftingbeautiful, bowl-shaped mortars from local stone deposits. In fact, forcenturies before white settlers stormed into the region, their handiwork wascanoe-transported throughout the southern coastline of California. This item fits into the peculiar Catalinacarving venue of very special items.Ralph Glidden grew up onCatalina and spent his adult years roaming around the island gathering upartifacts for the Heye Foundation. (The Heye Foundation’scollection started in 1897 by George G. Heye, a wealthy east coast oil man, whosystematically began purchasing large archeological collections from around theworld. This Foundation later became the National Museum of the AmericanIndian)In the ‘teens Gliddenmade his daily bread by selling as many Catalina artifacts as possible, shipping them to the Heye Foundation.Due to his rather sloppycollecting methods and ever increasingly bizarre claims about the giantsinhabiting Catalina eventually the Foundation cut all ties with Glidden.Glidden went on privatelycollecting stones throughout the 1920s, 30s and 40s providing increasinglystrange tales about his findings.By the early 1960s heeventually sold his entire archeological assemblage to several mainlandcollectors.COA available.(Historical photos forperspective only)
