Cover with hunting scene

October 2013

The shape of this pipe bowl is derived from the bag-shaped tobacco pipe of meerschaum that was made from the eighteenth century onward, throughout the nineteenth century. Although it is a typical meerschaum shape, it was copied in other materials as shown in this wooden example. The shape of the bowl changes over time, although it is not easy to determine exactly how the development is progressing. In this case a slightly tapered upper half of the bowl can be seen, more specific for Germany than for Austria wich makes a German origin of this pipe probable. However, what makes the pipe bowl special is not its shape, but the mounting. Bowl and stem are provided with a silver fittings with a sculpture on the lid. In this case a hunting scene: a proud hunter with a gun, in front of him lies a shot deer, his hunting dog is watchful by his side. The silver stub plate is also decorated, here we see a standing man, legs wide, arms extended. Although the silverwork is not very detailed, such representations are rare. For the smoker it was an attractive conversation piece to impress his friends after the hunt, although it added nothing to the comfort of smoking.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 21.678

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