The true Abraham,
a press moulded figural pipe and its later version with a hollow bowl system

De ware Abraham, over een gekaste figuurpijp en zijn opvolger in baronite

By Don Duco

Abstract: This article discusses a figural tobacco pipe from the assortment of the famous Goedewaagen firm, the Royal Dutch Clay Pipe Works in Gouda, Holland. The original pipe depicts the head of the patriarch Abraham and was designed in an unknown Belgium workshop. The mould was acquired in 1880 by Goedewaagen and was kept in production for about 25 years. About 1905 the pipe lost its economic value. In about 1925 the techniques of making pipes changed considerable and this shape was redesigned and relaunced on market. With a new, modern look the product realized a successfull sale for about forty years. Preserved pipes and production materials in the Pijpenkabinet collections in Amsterdam, together with information from archives, made it possible to trace the development of this pipe shape step by step over about a hundred years.

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© Don Duco, Pijpenkabinet Foundation, Amsterdam - Holland, 2000.

Illustrations

1. Jacob pipes by different factories in four standard sizes, large, medium, small and mignon. France, Saint-Omer, firm Louis Fiolet and Givet, firm J. Gambier, 1880-1910.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 5755c Fiolet mignon, Pk 5756 Fiolet petit, Pk 8825 Gambier moyen, Pk 6434 Gambier grand

2. The pipe bowl representing Isaac as an exceptional figuration on the endless row of Jacob pipes. France, Saint-Omer, firm C. Duméril, Leurs Fils & Cie, 1865-1875.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 8837

3. Abraham bowl coloured with enamel in brilliant colours characteristic for the Belgian-French enamel decoration. Belgium?, 1870-1880.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.149

4. The brass press mould of the Abraham bowl consisting of four parts. Belgium, environment of Liège, 1865-1875.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 12.204

5. Abraham bowl coloured with brilliant paint colours resembling the French-Belgian enamel. Gouda, firm P. Goedewaagen & Sons, 1910-1920.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 3800

6. Abraham bowl finished with a green paint resembling a bronze patina. Gouda, firm P. Goedewaagen & Sons, 1900-1910.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 5848

7. Abraham bowl covered with laquer and torrified bowl opening. Gouda, firm P. Goedewaagen & Sons, 1890-1910.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 2144

8. Abraham bowl in stone red colour on red backing clay. Gouda, firm P. Goedewaagen & Sons, 1890-1910.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.248

9. Page from the manufacturer's catalogue with the illustration of the Abraham pipe mainly as enlargement of the assortment. Gouda, firm P. Goedewaagen & Sons, 1912.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 10.052

10. The oldest known version of the slib casted Abraham pipe. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, c. 1925.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 1366

11. Plaster mould in four parts, rectangular keys function as closing system. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1950-1960.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 12.805

12. Plaster copy with inner bowl segment kept as an archive copy for future mould production. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1925-1928.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 6137

13. The new version of the Abraham with a larger beard and more space between the inner and the outer bowl. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1928-1935.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 14.170

14. The bowl rims of the earlier version (left) and of the enlarged inner bowl (right) from the top. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, c. 1925 and 1928/1930.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 1366, Pk 14.170

15. The Abraham pipe with a thicker stem and a larger stub. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1930-1940.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 11.060

16. The Abraham pipe with a new inscription, on the stem “GOEDEWAAGEN” and “HOLLAND”. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1950-1960.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 5851, Pk 13.193

17. Two times the stem inscriptions “HOLLAND” in large and in small letters. Gouda, Koninklijke (Royal) Goedewaagen, 1950-1960.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 13.193 (large), Pk 5851 (small).

Notes

1. Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 13.480 and Pk 15.836 Schmidt frères, Schoeneck, France, Pk 5756 Louis Fiolet, Saint-Omer, France.

2. Pk 8153 Levêque, Andenne, Belgium.

3. Pk 12.695 firm Dutel-Gisclon, Montereau, Pk 1442 Jean Jacques Knoedgen, Brée, Belgium.

4. Pk 8174 Noël Frères, Givet, France.

5. Pk 12.751 Jean Jacques Knoedgen, Brée, Belgium.

6. Pk 8234 Wingender frères, Chokier, Belgium.

7. Pk 8836 Duméril Leurs & Cie., shape number 2258.

8. Gouda, Streekarchiefdienst Hollands Midden (Regional Archives), Goedewaagen Archive no. 449, fol. 13.

9. D.H. Duco, Koninklijke Goedewaagen, een veelzijdig ceramisch bedrijf, Leiden, 1999, p 44.

10. Duco, (Koninklijke Goedewaagen), 1999, p 120.

11. Pk 14.170, inscription “NED.OCTROOI 12.201”.

12. Don Duco, ‘Een exportcatalogus van Goedewaagen’, Pijpelijntjes, III-3, July-Sept. 1977, pp 3-7.

13. Pk 7578 Goedewaagen catalogue 14, shape 805 ƒ 33,- per dozen.

14. Pk 6223a Goedewaagen catalogue 1958.

15. Pk 6223b Goedewaagen catalogue 1961.