Soapstone Quahog

[CMD]

Sold this neat bowl to a fellow forum member yesterday. It was found on a village site on the heights just west of Greenwich Bay, RI. Some shellfish scientists call Greenwich Bay " the quahog(hard shell clam) capital of the world".  It looks somewhat like a half shell with the lug as the shell hinge. Maybe, not saying it's a quahog half-shell effigy, but I think it could be. The quahog was the source of purple wampum, and the local tribe, the Narragansett, were the largest producers of purple wampum on the Northeast coast. The Pequots to a somewhat lesser degree. When the Mohawks of the Iroquois Confederacy periodically raided the New England Algonquin speaking groups, they tended to leave the Narragansetts alone. Especially after wampum became an exchange currency. The Europeans couldn't believe their luck. Give em a belt of purple shells, get fur pelts in return!! Fort Ninigret, on RI's Atlantic coast, was a virtual Narragansett factory involving the production of wampum by the very early 1600's.  The forum member who now owns this bowl has a collection from the site and lives only a half mile from where the bowl was found. Had to insist on visitation rights, as I never expected to let this go :laugh:


Look at the work here...

[Jeffery Howle]

Nice looking bowl Thanks for sharing

[south fork]

Thanks for sharing a rare artifact nice addition to your collection .

[panaggie]

Holy shellfish Batman! This flatlander had no idea that clams could even get that big. What a neat artifact. Thanks for the look.
Bob

[rmartin]

Thats a pretty special piece Charlie! I don't think I could have let that go.

[gregszybala]

Thanks Charlie, like Bob and living in the Midwest, had no idea they grew that big and had purpose.

[panaggie]

My foot tastes awful. How could I look right past soapstone and effigy? Anyway, I remember a ring on Antiques Roadshow made from a purple quahog pearl that was worth quite a bit of money.
Thanks Bob