An Eskimo pipe with circle holes

March 2012

In the far north, the Eskimos or Inuït lack almost everything. Smokers have only limited access to tobacco and consume it in minimal quantities. Materials are also scarce, with the exception of bone that is widely available. It is therefore not surprising that many smoking pipes are made of bone such as this fine pipe. In terms of shape, it is a real Eskimo pipe with its upright bending stem and bowl with a wide rim to prevent tobacco crumb from falling out of the pipe bowl. The small bowl capacity also fits in with an area where everything is scarce. It is customary to decorate this bone work, with carved scenes being the best known. However, this pipe is decorated with a repeating pattern of circular holes that are made with a simple drill. They are then coloured with black dye to stand out better. With a length of only 15 centimeters, this pipe is one of the smaller smoking instruments of the Eskimo.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 20.961

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