Tobacco pipes made of ivory
29 mars 2021
Few materials are rarer than ivory to make tobacco pipes. That has made them highly sought after and extremely exclusive since the eighteenth century. Understandable that you don't see them often, because this hard dental material is difficult to work with and actually not very suitable for the smoker who wants to enjoy it comfortably. Curator Don Duco has taken six ivory pipes from our rich museum collection and studied them from the material and the books. This provides a new view on these rare pipes. Read the article to discover everything about the design, the ways of production and the dating of these artistic and desirable little works of art.
PermalinkAcquisition in black bamboo
19 mars 2021
This impractical tobacco pipe was recently acquired for our collection along with several other Asian smoking objects. The pipe bowl is carved like a dragon’s head in which a small metal pipe-bowl is placed. Metal, because in China it is customary to smoke from this material. The stem of the pipe is formed by a piece of rustic bamboo with a whimsical shape like the moving body of the dragon. Such errors of nature are extremely popular with the Chinese for use as a work of art or an implement. Despite the wonderful shape, the pipe has been used for a long time, as evidenced by the smoke traces in the bowl. Not a curiosity, but a serious tobacco pipe that has given smoking pleasure for years and even prestige to the smoker.
PermalinkPremiere on YouTube
17 mars 2021
Intern Jesse launched the first short film on YouTube today. Doing so, our museum is making a start in a new domain. We were already strong in providing visual material, but from now on the museum will also present itself in moving images. This first video is the start of a series in which the Amsterdam Pipe Museum will primarily appeal to young people. The first subject chosen is the introduction of the characteristic Japanese tobacco pipe, the kiseru with its small metal pipe bowl and bamboo stem. With such short videos, we hope to draw more attention to the subject of pipe smoking, both in a historical perspective and on current affairs.
PermalinkInternational Women’s Day
8 mars 2021
Today it is International Women’s Day, but a hundred years ago there was no such an event, however emancipation was jet a theme for women. The most obvious way to show this was to wear reform clothing, modern dresses without a corset! This beautiful Art-Déco cigar box label in our collection shows this reform clothing, an unexpected combination with a cigar brand.
PermalinkEnjoy browsing through the collection
6 mars 2021
This week a new item on the website has been completed: virtual exhibitions of objects from our collection. It turned out to be an impressive presentation, intended for anyone who is a bit reluctant to use the search system of the collection database. We hope that these more than 40 new chapters with over five thousand photos will be consulted as frequently as the previous edition with only small thumbnails that has served for more than twenty years. Go to collections on our home page and click on browse the collection and a new world will reveal itself. From now on you can relax at home browsing and watching pipes. One click on the photo and it appears full-page. If you want to know more, click on the number below the picture, then another surprise will follow! In the meantime, we are working on a second version, mainly intended for so-called flat objects: prints and documents.
Permalink