Squatting woman in nightgown

February 2017

This striking wooden tobacco pipe represents a woman, crouched while she does her needs. The pipe shows a convincing carving and a slightly erotic or better scatological hue with a large discrepancy between the coarse woman with her tan features and her full breasts with fat teats dangling above a sloppy nightie. Striking details are the hat and the clogs that assume a local folk dress. To arrive at a full sculpture, the head of the depicted person has become very ingeniously the lid of the pipe bowl. All in all, this pipe has a bizarre appearance that looks more modern than historical. From a technical point of view, the product fits in with the wooden pipes from the German-speaking areas. Because soft wood was used, it had to be protected against burn-in. It was therefore common to coat the inside of the pipe bowl with sheet metal. Because that metal promoted condensation, a moisture trap was often made in the bowl bottom to get rid of the excess nicotine juice. This has happened in a very striking way with this pipe. The stop fits in with the figurative representation and makes the depiction even more banal. The woman does not produce an ordinary turd, but ironically pokes half a chicken or another animal. This bizarre characteristic is undoubtedly derived from a Central European folk tale or fairy tale in which scatology is part of the story. Unfortunately, we have not yet been able to find out the true history behind this remarkable depiction, but that the representation is meant ironically must be the case.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 22.222