Early pipe with extreme traces of use

May 2010

This Japanese kiseru is interesting for two reasons. First, the shape witnesses that it is an early example. It is an all-metal pipe, where the large diameter stem is made of brass, permanently attached on either side is the pipe bowl and the mouthpiece, both made of copper. The small pipe bowl and the specific onset of the stem, but also the slender cylindrical mouthpiece are characteristic of the early kiseru. Another remarkable feature is that the pipe has been used intensively for a long time and with Japanese pipes that means wear and tear. After smoking, the pipes are knocked out on the edge of a metal stove or ashtray. By doing this for years, the stem deformed through the hundreds of minimal dents which has given an unusual silhouette to the pipe. Here, there is no question of a luxury show-off kiseru, but an honest utensil that has found its mark through intensive smoking. It is the kiseru that the collector is usually not looking for, but that gives a good idea of ​​the use of these pipes in Japanese culture.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 20.227

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