A negro smoking cigarettes

October 2008

This portrait pipe shows a black man with a cigarette between his lips. The design is inspired by the Cigarette Johnson brand that was released in 1914. It was made by the sculptor-ceramist Rolland Coulon, working in Wasmuel in Belgian Hainaut. The negro with a top hat is well hit and fairly robust, on the other hand, the stem part looks somewhat primitive with circular rings. The portrayal gains a lot of expression because the face is lightly blackened, while the eyes have a somewhat bluish accent. At the bottom of the bust, the artist placed a few symbols. We see a bunch of tobacco leaves and a cigarette, furthermore an orbit with stars ending in a crescent moon. The last signs of course refer to the origin of the cigarette tobacco from Turkey and Egypt. It is unclear whether this item was an order from the cigarette brand or whether the item was designed independently and was intended for general sale.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 19.418

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