Cigar holder in a case
December 2003
From 1850 onwards, the fashion of meerschaum cigar holders was created for the smokers and in a few decades a wide variety of designs were devised. Characteristic of the cigar holder is that it is often figurative and can take the most diverse forms and representations. A funnel-shaped holder, intended to clamp the cigar, has been given a place somewhere in the carving of such pipes. The cigar butt is put in there. The cigar pipe shown here is a good example of its time. The pipe bowl is figured and shows the head of a Negro with open mouth, making his teeth visible. In the short frizzy hair you can see a cord with beads on the left, with a raised plume that cheerfully sticks up. A pleated collar forms the transition to a disc-shaped stub. The top of the head is drilled in to insert the trumpet-shaped cigar holder. The protective case for this pipe is curious. The pipe bowl is placed centrally in this rectangular box. On both sides we see a meerschaum holder, each with its own diameter intended for thin and thicker cigars. In this charming rectangular box we also find a two-piece rosewood stem with an amber tip along the front edge. The case is covered with black leather on the outside, the inside lined with red velvet and reddish silk. Packed in this way, the luxury of the cigar pipe is highlighted, but this smoking set can also be easily taken along. As a matter of fact, this cigar holder has never become the owner's favorite because the pipe has only been used a few times.
Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 17.312
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