Featured in this lot is this mid to late 1800s hand-carved Cherokee steatite elbow pipe. Many communities have a unique relationship with traditional, or sacred, tobacco. The tobacco plant is considered a sacred gift by many American Indian and Alaska Native communities. Traditional tobacco has been used for spiritual and medicinal purposes by these communities for generations. The piece shows a steatite material with an angled elbow piece sitting at 90 degrees, and a short to medium sized shaft. The bowl is wide and deep showing a large area for plenty of tobacco and other herbs smoked during ceremonies. The pipe shows good condition for its age with no signs of damage present. The pipe measures 4 1/2" L x 2" W x 2 1/4" H and weighs 1 pound and 2 ounces.