The Fall

July 2026

This stemmed pipe with a rounded bowl is dedicated to the Fall and is called paradis perdus, the lost paradise, in its country of origin. The representation shows a standing Eve at the moment when Adam hands her the apple. On the back of the bowl we see the tree of good and evil in which the snake is hiding, while the stem shows some plants. The maker of this striking pipe is the company E. Duméril, H. Leurs & Cie from Saint Omer in the north of France. The name of the factory can be read lengthwise on the stem. With this striking style of decoration, Duméril developed a unique appearance that has not been imitated by any other factory. The engraving shows a swirling style with many details that are dense and especially sharply engraved. It is a labor-intensive way of working that is also sensitive to wear. Striking fact: Duméril also made a Hell pipe in the same style. Incidentally, this pipe shows another special feature. Bowl and stem have been immersed in an electrolysis bath resulting in a thin brass cladding in a bronzed metal colour. This treatment gives the pipe the appearance of a metal pipe, but with the smoking comfort of a clay pipe. Whether this finishing was done in the factory or by a separate workshop is not known. This finish is too rare to determine the origin.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 30.782

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