Tobacco Pipes from the Ashanti

Original title: Tabakspijpen uit het Ashanti-gebied

By Don Duco

In the coastal area of the present Ghana for centuries the Ashanti or Asante lived, also called Gold Tribe. Here, namely, the gold dust is found, that gave being a general trade's article, richness to the country. From early seventeenth century onwards the Ashanti knew tobacco and the habit of smoking. The Dutch as well as the Portuguese introduced tobacco to trade with in exchange for gold and other items. Soon the Ashanti became heavy smokers with a tobacco pipe tradition on their own.

Especially along the south coast of Ghana pipe smoking was popular. The pipes of this tribe had been discussed in articles several times. Goes described in his "Intriguing Design of Tobacco Pipes" the meritable shapes of the Ashanti pipes (note 1). Most collectable are pipes with figural depictings, showing a rich scope of subjects that are inspired on expressions in the spoken language (note 2).

It is because of the depictings that Ashanti pipes can at present be found in several collections in Europe. The Historisches Museum in Bern (note 3), Musée Tervuren nearby Bruxelles (note 4), also the Rijksmuseum voor Volkenkunde in Leiden (note 5) and others possess Ashanti pipes showing these interestig sculptural decorations. In the national pipe collection of Holland a series of these pipes can also be found (note 6).

Recent excavations in the area of the Ashanti produced large quantities of fragments of pipes, showing a close resemblance with the figural merits. However their appearance is less exuberant and almost not sculptural, the actual using qualities therewith grows. Among the finds of the past period the question rises whether the figural works was not meant for reasons of status and for tourist purposes, while the ordinary pipes with the geometrical patterns were meant for daily use.

In this article I would like to show some of the pipes recently excavated and throw some new light on the development of the ordinary day pipe in Ghana. Since the finds were directly bought from dealers, the origin is not always certain. Often the find spot is changed when it makes the salesprice of the item rise. Certainly the term Ashanti is the magic word for commercial success of pipes originating from the Gold Coast, but dealers tend to mix their trade goods with finds from other regions to increase their profit.

The finds from Ghana can be divided into three categories. The first are the true Ashanti pipes, showing the remarkable signs of typical craftsmanship (figs. 1-8). The second category is immediately derived from this group, but lacks the remarkable skillful technique (figs. 9, 10). Finally, there is a large rest group. Among these we find makes from Ghana but possibly also products imported into Ghana. Funnel or bell shaped bowls that partly show the same shape, but are made in other ceramic techniques (figs. 11-13). This third category also encounters unique pieces showing several characteristics of style, of which some are and some are not to be determined in shape (figs. 14-19). They are evidences of the trade relations of the Gold Tribe.

Original Ashanti pipes
Ashanti pipes were executed in red baking clay and were produced according to very strict rules of shape. The bowl of the pipe has a pot shape (figs. 7, 8), bowl shape (figs 1, 2) or beaker shape (figs 3-5). The pot shape should, as being stated, be derived from the cooking pot, the beaker from the wooden mortar to pulver the corn. The bowl is normally placed on a foot. This can show a flat base, in later times being developed to a rectangular with nods or finely concave with carving showing openings and having two feet. The stem is rather heavy and conical in shape. It can be circular but is quite often flattened of. The end is a manchet shaped knot. In this manchet a wooden stem is slided, in length varying between 30 and 80 centimeter. The end piece is covered with metal and rich smokers sometimes even use silver of gold.

What makes the Ashanti pipe typical is the finishing of the surface. The pipes were carved from a hump of preshaped clay, a technique in use in many other parts of Africa (note 7). The fine treatment of the surface however, is remarkable and characteristic. By means of small knives and stamps with a repeating design a repetitional decoration is brought on the surface of bowl and stem. Thereafter the pipe was dipped into a bowl of slib, composed of boiled treebark. It is the high level of potas that resulted in a beautiful mate shine. After firing the deeper parts of the decoration were rubbed with a contrasting clay powder or chalk, making the fine decorations better visible.

The ceramic pipes were baked in a simple field kiln fired with wood. Because of the firing the clay became red. When smoke can not leave the kiln, the sherd absorbed the fume and became black. Especially in the later period fantastical deeply black products have been made, showing a shining silverish metal like polish. The excavated pipes however, always show a red sherd or, when it concerns the earlier types, a slightly yellow teint. A centre of production of these pipes is not yet known. However the villages encircling the city Kumasi seem to have been of importance for this craft.

The ordinary pipe is characterised towards the decoration for circle-holes (fig 4), arcings, fishgrates, millings and carved out triangles. Especially the last, always brought together per four in a rectangular (fig 3), are not to be seen in work of other tribes. They have been applied on the bowl (fig 5) but with later products especially on the stem (fig. 7). The choice of the motifs always have been done with a good sense of harmony. The style went from generation to generation but faded away in the beginning of the twentieth century. Reason for this is the cheap imports of pipes from European workshops.

The primer shape of the pipe is not to be traced, nor the dating. The illustrations 1 and 2, both still with a flat foot, are the oldest. A dating of the eighteenth century is well likely. The decorations still is very linear, while the pattern is dominated by incised lines, being arced or not. In photos 3 to 5 the flat foot is still there, the carved patterns are more explicit. The decoration is stonger in bands, while undecorated an decorated parts change and a nice effect of ritm is achieved. This type should have been developed in the late eighteenth century, but most of the examples date from the nineteenth century.

Pipes in the illustrations 6 to 8 show the endphase of the development of bowl shape and decorations of the Ashanti pipes. Mote attention is paid to the feet of the pipes. At the same time the appliques of reliëfs is executed (fig 7), like the kauri, being the token of richness and fertility. These examples also show the remarkable button on the upper part of the stem, close to the manchette. This button is a stylised face of the sun or the moon. The highly developed style was generally known in the nineteenth century and is preserved till the beginning of the twentieth century. Due to the stark tradition of the work, it is verry difficult to date these pipes more exactly. As being stated the technique fades away after the year 1900, however weak imitations stay in production till about 1950.

The proudness for the own culture becomes clear from an Ashanti law from about 1870. In that year is recorded that no European pipe should be smoked. The eldest of the tribes appears once or twice a year with a golden or silver pipe to underline their status. In another way the appreciation of the tobacco pipe is illustrated by photo 5. This Ashanti pipe got broken and thereafter the smoker replaced the clay stem with a piece of animal bone, making a second period of usage possible. The stem, angular on the bowl, is also illustrative for the change in the outward look of the pipe that took place about 1900, during the before mentioned imports of European clay pipes.

Concluding we may say that the Ashanti pipe has been in use for over two centuries and that the technique of making them only slightly changed. The starting point was kept, however the decoration had itself developed and got more specific. Certainly we may speak about a pipemakers centre where several people earned a living. The common geometrical pipe is spread over Ghana in its entire, but it can also be found out of the country. The production of figurative counterparts from the same workshops are more meant as a curiosity and primary serve the tourist purpose. In excavations these pipes are hardly ever found. Never the less we find them world-wide in the reserves of museums and also in private collections.

Copies in the Ashanti style and other pipes
Grace to the outbalanced shapes and perfect finishing the Ashanti pipes will have got lots of admiration. Hence, it is understandable that local potters and pipe makers will have imitated the shapes and decorations. Two of these examples are illustrated here (figs 9, 10). In outline they resemble the illustrations 3 and 4. Both have flat feet and beaker shaped bowls and the stems show the same diameter and angle. One of them even has the remarkable dot on the stem. Still the production and the finishing is inferior to the originals. The applied clay is less fine and the clay of the pipe of illustration 10 is even mixed with fine white stones. The firing is done reduced so they became partly dark and show irregular brown and black spots. Because of a lower baking temperature the sherd is more porous hence the pipe is more fragile. Most characteristic about these imitations is that they have not been craved from a piece of leather dry clay but have been modelled by hand from a fat clay. Therefore the sharp carving surfaces of the real Ashanti pipe became weaker and rounder. As dating the nineteenth century is most likely given that they imitate contemporary originals.

The rest of the group (figs 11-19) encounters pipes showing a wide variety in shapes and decorations, but originates from the same region. It concerns examples of other tribes but perhaps even products of other countries, brought to Ghana by tradesmen. Among these dominate pipes with a stark funnel shaped bowl and a small flat bottom (figs. 11, 12). These products show an upgoing stem lacking the manchette. In technical point of view these pipes were treated in the same way. They were finely finished and the bowl is partly decorated with geometrical patters being impressed. The bigger examples show a band from the bowl to the stem, so that an hole is formed, for fixing a string that saves the bowl from getting loose and thus prevents it from breaking.

The funnel shaped bowls are possibly being made in the northern part of the Ashanti region. Similarity is shown in the large perfection of the ceramist, however the artistic inspirations remains far below. The standard funnel shape is seldom changed for another, while the decoration is limited to simple variations on rows of millings changed with simple impressed motifs. However the pipe makers also used a slib to cover the sherd as the Ashanti did, so that the shine of the ceramic shows clear resemblance and is an important part of the beauty of the pipe. Also for these products a dating between 1800 and 1900 is most likely.

The bellshape in illustration 13 is considered one of the most delicate shapes that have been found in the coastal area of Ghana. This pipe is possibly thrown on a potters wheel and shows a thin sherd with a very limited weight. Bowl and stem are made separately and glued together. On bowl and stem very subtle are made concentric circles, while the bowl base is accentuated by four knobs, with in between standing stripes. These types of finishings of the bottom show close resemblance to the later Ashanti pipes, but are especially known from pipes from the northern parts of Ghana, for instance the Fra-Fra. It is likely that the bell shape with the decorated base was made by tribes in the north of Ghana and came to the south by dealers. According the dating it might concern an eighteenth century example. From later times this type is no longer known.

A remarkable tobacco pipe is shown in illustration 14. Here a red baking iron oxyde containing clay has been used, that is meagered with fine white stones. The bowl was found in a river bed and is worn badly, which makes the surface quite explicit. The shape shows a close resemblance to the pipes from Tanzania, however a trade relation with a centre that far away is not very likely. The dating of this piece is unclear.

Illustration 15 again is a unique piece as well and is most likely a Ghanese interpretation of a Turkish chibouk with a dish shaped base (note 8). Since this pipe is handmoulded and the clay is less fine that the Turkish counterparts, this pipe is not refined at all but rather clumsy. The surface is brownish of colour, the two concentric bands with arcings have been incised by hand. The pipe was excavated in the northern parts of Ghana, but does not show any relation with neighbouring tribes. Considering material and shape it must concern a nineteenth century piece.

A pipe easy to estimate is the clay pipe illustrated in figure 16. It is a local Ghanese interpretation of a European clay pipe. From the end of nineteenth century trade agents start shipping European clay pipes to West-Africa (note 9). Also the region of Ashanti is covered with this materials and it is quite understandable that these products became soon popular. They were modern in look and sproved stronger in use, hence they were imitated by the local potters. Since these local makers were not familiar with the actual manufacturing process of press moulding nor possessed appropriate tools, these pipes are fully modelled by hand. The result looks more or less equal, but because of the lack of the right clays and because of the fragility of the stem the pipe is much more breakable and had to be made shorter stemmed. Besides, the hand modelling gave a less accurate shape and certainly not a sharp decoration, clearly be seen in the unequal stem of the product. Dating of this example shortly before the year 1900.

Apparently from further distance two relative heavy pipes originate, both showing an elbow shape (figs. 17, 18). What brings them together is the concentric rings around the pointed part at the base of the bowl and in the end of the stem. Marking this part of the pipe is quite common in Zaïre and especially among the Mayombe tribe. The make and the finish of these Ghanese finds however is much courser and groover and especially more heavy, hence they should come from another production centre. The pipe from illustration 17 is artistically higher. The decorations of zigzag lines round the bowl opening and the band with small squares round the stem end has been carved skilfully, whereafter the deepend parts have been filled with white chalk. This way of finishing with colours resemblance the Ashanti pipes. Both products have been made of a grey reduced clay. Possible dating nineteenth century.

The last pipe in this article is a most remarkable pipe found in the north of Accra (fig. 19). The wide bowl with the bell shape is placed on a circular flat base, showing a heavy stem and small manchette band. The decorations on the bowl and stem and the small manchette band seems to be made with a mould. The band between bowl and stem is not suitable to be used as a security to fetch the pipe bowl to the stem, since the opening is too small. In comparison of the traditional Ashanti pipes the contents of the bowl is extremely large. Origin may possibly be sought in Nigeria, where pipes with large bowl are more common. Only one publication shows a comparable piece, having the same outlook and comparable decoration (note 10). Unfortunate, also with this piece the author is uncertain about the way of producing, the make and the dating. The writer however pleas for a Ghanese origin and a rather early date, possibly in the seventeenth century.

The pipes discussed in this article have one fact in common. They are no items being smoked during the work. Therefore they are too heavy and too brittle. By using these pipes the smoker will have to sit down and from the Ashanti it is known that they smoked their pipes in that way. Smoking even was a status and people that had influence employed a servant that cared for the pipe and their smoke. During the actual smoking the pipe was taken in the hands. Only when the bowl was too large and heavy and the stem long it rested with its base on the floor. Then a certain worn on the base of the pipe bowl became visible because of sliding over rough surfaces. This way of smoking we see especially in the northern parts of Ghana. In contrast, the nicely carved Ashanti pipes were always kept in the hand ans show no traces of sliding over the floor.

Postscript
Grace to recent finds from Ghana the characteristics of shapes and decorations, but also the manufacturing techniques of tobacco pipes in that region are now known. Despite of this new information very little is known on the different tribes and their workshops. Further, exact dating of the product is still impossible. Should we, however trace more finds from this part of the world, and should these be better documented, a lot more about the smoking pipes of Ghana could be found out. Perhaps particular designs were once related to certain regions, while typical shapes are common in other parts of that country. Also the trade relations may by discovered from the spreading of the find material. Hopefully better looking after the archaeology will stimulate to find new and more relevant information on these skillfully made artifacts.

© Don Duco, Pijpenkabinet Foundation, Amsterdam, Holland, 2001.

Illustrations

1. Tobacco pipe with bowl shape on foot, upgoing stem with four sided diametre and on the end a square manchette. Bowl a band of incised concentric and vertical lines. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.611

2. Tobacco pipe with bowl shape with slender middle and outward leaning rim, flat base and round stem thinner to the end. Stem overlong grooved. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.608

3. Tobacco pipe bowl with ewer shape on flat base and upgoing stem with round manchette. Bowl decorated with two band in relief in carved triangles and in between roughened parts. Stem with bands alternating smooth and arced. 1800-1900
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.599

4. Tobacco pipe with high ewer shaped bowl on flat base and four sided upgoing stem with small square manchette. Incised and stamped decorations of geometrical patterns. 1750-1850.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.811

5. Bowl of an Ashanti pipe decorated with concentric geometrical bands and incized triangles and arcings later mounted with a stem of animal bone. 1850-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.614

6. Tobacco pipe with small flattened bowl on a high foot with flat base and tapering stem with square manchette. Incised and stamped decorations on bowl and stem. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.609

7. Ashanti pipe with large bulbous bowl on flat foot with two pointed feet on the front, upgoing tapering stem with manchette. Bowl and stem incized, carved and collated decorations. 1820-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.853

8. Tobacco pipe with twin bowls of globular shape on a rectangular base with two knobs on the front, and flat base, upgoing stem with manchette. Button on the top frontside ot the stem near the manchette. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.335

9. Tobacco pipe with ewer shaped bowl on flat foot with four knobs, upgoing stem with incisions. Bowl under the rim showing arces. 1850-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.851

10. Tobacco pipe with ewer shaped bowl on flat base and upgoing stem. Bowl decorated with concentric rings, stem cannelated, a button on the stem end. 1850-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.852

11. Tobacco pipe with funnel shaped bowl and small flat base and upgoing stem with manchette. Lower part of the bowl four concentric rings with stamped geometrical patterns. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.053

12. Tobacco pipe with funnel shaped bowl and small flat foot, upgoing stem without manchette, a band in the stem angle from stem to bowl. Concentric bands with stamped dots. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.052

13. Tobacco pipe with high funnel shaped bowl and narrow bottom showing four knobs upgoing stem with geometrical manchette. Bowl concentric bands and stem three double concentric rings, the manchette with four knobs that are pierced. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.496

14. Tobacco pipe with wide funnel shaped bowl on a heavier base with flat bottom and upgoing stem without manchette. Round the bowl two concentric bands with incized decorations. 1700-1850.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.599

15. Tobacco pipe with wide funnel shaped bowl on disk shaped base and very short upgoing stem with small manchette band. Bowl two bands with incized lines. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.612

16. Tobacco pipe with beaker shaped bowl with round bottom without heel and slightly curved stem with mouth piece. Bowl incized vertical lines. 1880-1910.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.615

17. Tobacco pipe with oval shaped bowl with heavy bowl rim and pointed base, straight stem without manchette. Incized pattern of zig zag bands, the deeper parts filled with white chalk. 1850-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.481

18. Tobacco pipe with oval shaped bowl with a pointed bottom and a straight stem with a manchette band. Incised geometrical patters filled with white chalk. 1800-1900.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.051

19. Tobacco pipe with wide bowl on flat round base, between stem and bowl a hook to secure with a string on the stem. 1650-1800.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 15.050

Notes

1. Benedict Goes, The Intriguing Design of Tobacco Pipes, Leiden, 1993, pp. 72-73.

2. E. Rohrer, 'Tabakpfeifenköpfe und Sprichwörter der Asante', Jahrbuch des Bernischen Historischen Museums, Bern, 1946. Also: Carl Avery Werner, Tobaccoland, a book about tobacco; its history, legends, literature, cultivation, social and hygienic influences, ..., New York, 1922, p. 361.

3. Peter Valentin, 'Les pipes en terre des Ashanti', Arts d'Afrique Noire, 19, 1976, pp. 8-13.

4. Jean Lecluse, Pipes d'Afrique noire, Liège, 1985, p. 638.

5. Item without number, originating from the Royal Cabinet of Rarities (Koninklijk Kabinet van Zeldzaamheden) of King William I.st of the Netherlands.

6. Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collection no. 11.458 snake, 12.398 bird, 12.254 shell, 12.657 geometrical pattern, 1827 playing board, 13.898 sitteng man, 11.421 man holding his hands folded on his head, 11.422 man having hand on his mouth, 11.423 cock, 11.424 animal, 11.452 man and woman.

7. Goes, op.cit., p. 68.

8. Don Duco, 'Turkije als centrum van de Oost-Europese pijpenfabricage', Pijpelijntjes, X-3, 1984, a.z. figs. 31, 34.

9. Don Duco, 'Een export-catalogus van Goedewaagen', Pijpelijntjes, III-3, 1977, p. 3.

10. Jerome S. Handler, 'An African Pipe from a Slave Cemetry in Barbados, West Indies', BAR-International Series, Oxford, 175, 1983, pp. 245-253.