Bronze work with geometric ornaments
July 2013
Beautiful in design and complicated in shape you could call this bronze pipe bowl. The oval-shaped bowl is no less than eighteen angled and ends at the bottom with a heel shape that again becomes a flat rectangular plate. The bowl opening has a flat protruding rim. The bowl itself is decorated with embossed bands all around, the most characteristic are rows of kauri, the sign widely used in Africa for money and wealth. But it didn't stop there. The maker has added two elongated flat legs, which are also decorated with geometric relief. The stem of the pipe is upright and ends without a cuff. A locking eye is provided in order to secure the mounting of the wooden stem. This pipe is made in Nigeria with the Igbo tribe. We can certainly admire the wonderful combination of form and the minimalistic application of decoration, resulting in a fine design,
Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 21.578
Permalink