Artwork Page for Pipe Bowl

Details / Information for Pipe Bowl

Pipe Bowl

possibly 1800s

Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southern Nguni-style maker

Medium
Nephrite and metal
Measurements
Overall: 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.)
Credit Line
Purchase from the J. H. Wade Fund 2012.42
Public Domain
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Location
108B Southern African
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Did You Know?

This object is made of nephrite, one of two different mineral species called jade; the other is jadeite.

Description

Carved from a deep green, translucent stone with a highly polished surface, this exquisite example of an extremely rare type of pipe bowl originates from the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa. Like the few other known examples, this pipe bowl would have been complemented by a stem, now lost, made from wood or reed or another less durable material. It is believed that such nephrite pipe bowls were copied from stone examples introduced by 17th-century Dutch settlers in the Cape region. In southern Africa, smoking tobacco and taking snuff were and still are enjoyed as activities that establish or solidify harmonious social relationships. In addition to their practical function as smoking devices, pipes of unusual and therefore costly materials and in fancy and refined shapes and forms, like this example, served as markers of rank and status and indicated prestige and socioeconomic prominence.
A nephrite and metal pipe bowl features an asymmetrical hook shape. On the left, a translucent, gem-reminiscent emerald-green cylinder displays vertical striations and a dark, pointed interior cavity. The stone base sweeps right into a thicker, deep-green form with a small notch along the inner curve. The polished surface transitions to yellowish-brown mottling at the far-left edge.

Pipe Bowl

possibly 1800s

Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southern Nguni-style maker

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