Sioux Turtle Effigy Pipe Bowl By Raymond Redwing

ca. 1990 

1.375" H x 5.875" L x 4.375" W

Hand Carved from a Red Stone with 2 Holes for Smoking and the Large Bowl has not Been Smoked

In Very Good Condition with Chip to Top of Back Right Turtle Fin and Small Ding on Right Side of Nose and Shows Well

Raymond J. Redwing (also known as Ray Redwing), an enrolled member of the Flandreau Santee Sioux Tribe (Dakota), is a renowned pipestone carver who worked for over 22 seasons as a cultural demonstrator at Pipestone National Monument. He specializes in traditional pipes, including elaborate designs like eagle claw pipes, and has created many custom ceremonial pieces. While no public records directly link him to a specific "turtle effigy" bowl, his work aligns closely with Sioux/Dakota pipemaking traditions, and similar turtle effigy pipes are common among Native carvers from the region.

The Sioux Turtle Effigy Pipe Bowl is a traditional Native American ceremonial artifact, typically carved from red catlinite (pipestone) sourced from quarries in areas like Pipestone National Monument in Minnesota. Turtle effigies hold deep cultural significance in many Plains tribes, including the Sioux (Lakota/Dakota), often symbolizing longevity, fertility, Mother Earth, or creation stories.

These pipe bowls are hand-carved into the shape of a turtle (full body or stylized), with the bowl for tobacco at one end and a stem attachment at the other. They form part of sacred pipes (chanupa) used in ceremonies, prayers, and peace rituals.