High bowl from Big Ben

juin 2019

Every era shows extremes in design. They become the icons of that period, but are generally not the most common product due to their explicit design. Typical for the 1960s, for example, are striking tobacco pipes with an extraordinarily high bowl like the example shown here. With its strong cylindrical pipe bowl and relatively short straight stem these elements compete with each other, resulting in great tension in design. The birthplace of this unusual chimney shape is in Denmark. This specimen, however, is a copy, but a very good one, because here too the manufacturer sought the extreme. The design doesn’t go for the lean, thin line, but choose the sturdy massive. The name of the pipe is also appropriate: ‘High bowl’ which, together with the English brand name Big Ben, forms an perfect language unit; somewhat misleading, since the pipe is Dutch made. As noted, the extreme designs acquired an iconic value, although they rarely became bestsellers. Not surprising that half a century later this pipe has become an object of great rarity.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 22.933

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