Rare Native American Mississippian stone effigy pipe

A rare ancient native American Effigy pipe from the Mississippian Circa 12-16 century AD A bird effigy pipe with upright neck and delineated line feather with feet detail to the underside, carved in hard green stone. The pipe has a very stylised form and mythical avian design alluding to its spiritual and religious purpose old labels collection number and find location Tennessee From a UK collection Pipes from this period often featured avian and animal designs. Smoking pipes seem to have played an important role in Mississippian and Woodland cultures, . To Ancient Native American people pipes were not just made for the act of smoking; they had a strong religious purpose which continued to be used in the same way by the later native American peoples of the plains and woodlands