A chiboucq in meerschaum

June 2006

The chiboucq, a funnel-shaped pipe bowl placed on a saucer shape, is a typical Turkish invention. Such pipes were developed in the eighteenth century and remained popular throughout the nineteenth century. Originally it was an invention in ceramic that was soon copied in other materials. Such a counterpart in meerschaum we see here. The shape of the chiboucq has been copied exactly, although the decoration is adapted to the West European taste. Contoured pointed windows have been added around the bowl to create the atmosphere of neo-Gothicism. The dish is provided with lobes on the underside, while the stem of the pipe is fluted along the length. In this way a striking form of serene decoration is provided with a beautiful overl-all design as a result. Finally, the pipe is mounted with a silver hinged cover and a cuff ring with a locking eye. The hinged cover is atypical. This is because the bowl capacity of this pipe is relatively small, while the wall is thick, especially at the wider top. Therefore, the only option was a broad silver bowl ring with a surprisingly small lid. In the middle, this lid has a very large air inlet, extremely contrasting. Elegant is the clamping spring that runs over the wide bowl rim with a bow and secures the lid there. it is difficult to determine where such pipes were made. In this case it seems to be a Hungarian product, but new insights into the meerschaum production can easily change this attribution.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 18.009

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