Pipe Case
mid 17th century (made)
| Artist/Maker | |
| Place of origin |
In the 17th and 18th centuries the most common means of smoking tobacco was through clay pipes, for which Gouda in Holland was a leading centre of manufacture. Being fragile, such pipes were stored and carried in purpose-made cases, such as this Sri Lanka example made of wood and overlaid with panels of pierced ivory. Among European communities in Asia, the need for pipe cases was even greater than at home: replacement pipes had to be imported, and were therefore both comparatively expensive and in short supply. This case is configured to hold two pipes.
Object details
| Category | |
| Object type | |
| Materials and techniques | Wood, overlaid with pierced ivory, with brass pins and metal mounts |
| Brief description | Pipe case, wood, overlaid with pierced ivory, mid 17th century, Sri Lanka. |
| Physical description | Pipe case, wood, overlaid with pierced ivory; decorated with a foliate/ arabesque design. With brass pins and metal mounts. |
| Dimensions |
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| Subjects depicted | |
| Summary | In the 17th and 18th centuries the most common means of smoking tobacco was through clay pipes, for which Gouda in Holland was a leading centre of manufacture. Being fragile, such pipes were stored and carried in purpose-made cases, such as this Sri Lanka example made of wood and overlaid with panels of pierced ivory. Among European communities in Asia, the need for pipe cases was even greater than at home: replacement pipes had to be imported, and were therefore both comparatively expensive and in short supply. This case is configured to hold two pipes. |
| Bibliographic reference | Luxury goods from India : the art of the Indian cabinet maker / Amin Jaffer. London: V&A Publications, 2002 Number: 1851773819
p.51, ill. |
| Collection | |
| Accession number | W.147-1928 |
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| Record created | November 27, 2002 |
| Record URL |
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