The earliest argillite trade pipes were based on clay pipe designs. This pipe is a fine example of the best known trade pipe style, featuring a portrait-like human head forming the bowl. And carved during the same period as the larger, more elaborate ship panel pipes of the period, it presents very similar imagery: two human figures and a dog. The imagery is charming and whimsical; it appears to depict a man and woman relaxing with their pet dog. The woman engages the viewer while petting the animal; the man, enjoying a drink, lounges on the dog’s back in what would be a very precarious position if the odd triangular support were not there to prop him up.