Breton fisherman

August 2020

Brittany has its own place in French culture. There, especially in the coastal towns, a specific national character arises from fishing life. In the nineteenth century, the fisher man, le Loup, became a popular type. Tough sailors who risk their lives in small fishing boats. Their heads are lived through, framed by signature hats with a wide floppy brim or a Southwester hood. It is not surprising that these figures are becoming popular in the arts and crafts. The picturesque coastal towns become a tourist destination and souvenir sales quickly get important. The range also includes all kinds of figural pipe bowls. Usually made of red firing clay, they are produced in a mould and subsequently modeled by hand using a knife. They look like completely handmade pipes, which pushes up the sales price. To emphasize the function as a souvenir, the place of purchase is often stamped, such as here Brest, more often we see Boulogne-sur-Mer. These pipes do smoke comfortably, the shard is porous and absorbs well, they are also fragile and therefore few survived intact. This one has!

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 23.986

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