Ancient Artifacts & Antiquities
Lot 497:
Mid Century Bear Platform Pipe made by the late Billy Guthrie
Mid Century Platform Pipe made by the late Billy Guthrie. There were a good number of these made from the 1950’s to 1970’s. It may have had to do with the shape of the stone used. There have been many of these pictured in books over the years by less than knowledgeable book authors. This pipe has a sticker that reads Bear Scott Co., IL P. 2. It may be pictured in a book some where produced over the past 100 years. Or, the numbers may have no meaning at all. We see stickers with made up provenance regularly on pipes, bannerstones, axes and other hardstone items coming mainly from the state of Illinois where they have been made over the past 100 years by various modern makers and sold as ancient by fraudulent sellers. Before dishonest or incompetent authenticators started papering modern made pieces, putting stickers on modern pieces was how dealers attempted to fool people to part them from their money but there were also honest collectors that kept records that way. They always have a story….. Pipe has a good draw to it. Billy didnt leave out that detail that we have noticed in his work. Functional art mimicing Native American pieces he had seen and handled. Stone is brown. May be a form of hard limestone. 3 3/4" long by 2" tall.
Condition: Modern
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