The Cleveland Museum of Art

Collection Online as of March 29, 2024

Pipe Bowl

Pipe Bowl

possibly 1800s

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.
  • by at least 2007–latest 2011
    David Lewin, London, United Kingdom
    2012–
    (Jacaranda LLC, New York, NY, sold to the Cleveland Museum of Art)
    2012–
    The Cleveland Museum of Art, Cleveland, OH
  • Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine. Vol. 53 no. 02, March/April 2013 Mentioned and reproduced: p. 25 archive.org
  • {{cite web|title=Pipe Bowl|url=false|author=|year=possibly 1800s|access-date=29 March 2024|publisher=Cleveland Museum of Art}}

Source URL:

https://www.clevelandart.org/art/2012.42