She/He or gender differences

7 October 2019

During October, History Month, the Amsterdam Pipe Museum will put special pipes in the window on the theme She/He or gender differences. In pipe smoking there is a difference between what men and what women use. Especially in other parts of the world. For example, women in the Eastern Cape of South Africa smoke pipes of acacia wood decorated with colourful beads at ritual gatherings. The magic power is transferred through the pipe. In Cameroon, only men are allowed to smoke from pipes decorated with human masks and animal figures. Women smoke the same amount, but then from pipes with geometric decorations, more subtle in decor but so beautiful. Things are different again in Japan, where geishas smoke very elegant pipes with a minute bowl: a single puff and the tobacco is gone. All these pipes can be seen the full month of October at the Prinsengracht.

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