Isleta Polychrome Pottery Figural Smoking Pipe [SOLD]

Once the group of Laguna Pueblo families, who had split from their native village, settled at Isleta Pueblo in a village they named Oraibi in 1879, they began to produce a large quantity of tourist pieces of pottery, sized down in scale to make it easy for the travelers to carry in their luggage.

Things popular with tourists were small bowls, sugar and creamer sets, salt and pepper sets, ashtrays, and vases. Perhaps, too, smoking pipes were popular, but they do not appear that frequently today, so it is surmised that not too many were made. It is not likely that they were purchased to be used as a smoking device, but rather were considered souvenirs. The popular design for smoking pipes was a figural element, mostly poking fun at a Spanish nobleman or merchant. The curled mustache and full beard on this Isleta Pueblo pottery pipe would indicate a Spanish male. There is no evidence that tobacco has ever been in the bowl of this pipe. It appears as new, even though it dates to circa 1900.

Condition: very good condition

Provenance: this Isleta Polychrome Pottery Figural Smoking Pipe is from the estate of Henry Christensen III, attorney at law in New York City to whom we sold this in 2007.

Recommended Reading: Pottery of the Pueblos of New Mexico 1700-1940 by Jonathan Batkin

Relative Links: tourist pottery, The Fred Harvey Company, pottery figurine, Isleta Pueblo, Tue-I