Haida art. Just over 3" long, catlinite with 12 abalone inlays. The design refers to the bear mother story, two grizzly bears carved on the side. The two humans on top are hunters that were killed by the grizzlies.
This is a Haida Shaman's pipe used for traditional doctoring. It is carved from pipestone, which non-Native people call catlinite. It is a brownish red type of argillite which occurs in the territory of the Lakota and Dakota People. It is fine-grained and easily worked. Native Americans have used it to create ceremonial pipes since time immemorial.