Robert Rosebear was a self-taught artist from Minnesota whose artworks are in collections across the world. His carvings reflect a centuries-old tradition of pipe making, but with a contemporary sensibility.

I recently learned that a museum internship helped shape Robert Rosebear’s artistic vision. Exposure to storerooms full of ancient Mississippian pipes and Japanese netsuke miniature carvings surrounded him, inspiring intricate, small sculptures. I view museum collections as resources for our communities, and hearing that collections from cultures across the world influenced Rosebear’s vision for this pipe adds a special layer of meaning for me.
Tilly Laskey, Curator of Ethnology