Caption Reads: Pipes were, perhaps, the most important of sacred objects to the Plains Indians. Most tribesmen owned their own pipes, using them in religious ceremonies as well as for the sheer love of smoking. The most elaborate pipes- some of them with delicately carved four and five-foot-long stems, often decorated with fur, horsehair wrappings, and quills, were believed to have strong powers. These were used only in ceremonies of the most sacred nature, such as the making of war or peace, the healing of the sick, or during rituals intended to ensure a successful buffalo hunt. Other than the highly prized catlinite, the bowls were usually fashioned from stealite, argillite, shale, limestone, or serpentine slate. The stems were made from soft woods such as ash or sumac, to easily scrape out their piths. The decorated pipes on the top and to the right were used on ceremonial occasions. The one on the bottom, though skillfully carved, was for everyday use. The smallest pipe (left, middle) is a pipe-shaped rig.