Tobacco Pipe

(UEM10201) Wooden tobacco pipe in a human-like form with a bone pipette. The pipe bowl is carved in the shape of a human head with an elaborately carved face and hairstyle. Between the pipe stem and the pipette, a carved geometrical pattern typical of the Kuba is visible. Typical of the Kuba pipes is also that the pipe stem goes upwards in a striking bend. Tobacco smoking was an established practice among the Kuba since the 16th Century. Possibly, the social practice was introduced by the Portuguese, who brought tobacco from the Americas. The ornate pipes are said to have been carved for ceremonial use.

Material: Bone, wood
Region: Kasai Oriental, Kuba
Length: 74 cm.
Arrival: Bought by the museum from B. Brodahl, Trondheim, 1900.