Chinese design

19 January 2024

Working in briar has now become an international tradition. Two tobacco pipes from the Chinese maker Xu Hai prove this. Trained as a calligrapher and visual artist, this pipe smoker developed briar pipes in his own style. It is said to be inspired by the pipes of the famous Dane Ivarsson, but those who can freely associate can also distinguish other influences. Both examples depicted here were given to our museum as a gift by a pipe enthusiast from South China. A welcome addition to our collection of modern briars and a rare variation on the traditional Chinese smoking pipes here.

Smoking pipes from a true pipe enthusiast

4 January 2024

The year is only a few days old and the first acquisitions have already been brought in. This is an important donation of a series of high-quality tobacco pipes that were smoked between 1980 and 2020 by a Rotterdam pipe enthusiast. The pipes were purchased over a period of twenty years and represent a well-considered choice from what quality pipes were available at the time. This provides a wonderful overview of major brands, which shift from classic English and Danish in the 1980s to more refined Italian. The smoker clearly had a preference for straight grains, aesthetically the most beautiful and finest versions of optimal craftsmanship. Contemporary smoking is a chapter that we must now collect, experience shows that many consumables are thrown away faster than they deserve.