Ongoing e-mail correspondence and kind readers who forwarded our Newsletter, result in a growing number of addresses in our database. Over 1800 addresses receive our Newsletter now. Thanks, to all people who sent a positive reply. Please enjoy this third issue.

Meetings on archaeological pipes
From Germany it is reported that the weekend of the Freunde der Irdene Pfeifen ‘Knasterkopf’ (Friends of the Clay Pipes) has been very successful. The 19th meeting during the last weekend of April took place in southern Germany. Some 60 people from West and Central Europe participated in interesting excursions and an intensive programme of lectures. A full report is to be found at the website http://www.knasterkopf.de/htm/akreis/19ber.htm

The Pijpenkabinet Museum provided all participants with an information kit, including the new German brochure, a list of publications and a set of picture postcards of high grade pipes.

On the 10th of September a comparable day was organised by the SCPR - Society for Clay Pipe Research. Marek Lewcun has taken up the responsibility for the conference, to be held in a village with a long history of pipe making: Norton St. Philip, near Bath. A full report will be published in the next issue of SCPR.

Book reviews
The recent publications of the Pijpenkabinet are regularly cited in literature lists and magazines. The Dutch magazine Vormen uit Vuur (“Objects created by fire”) is an important one. It is the monthly magazine of the Dutch Friends of Ceramics. Readers are not specifically focussed in clay pipes, but the extensive reviews of both Merken en Merkenrecht van de pijpenmakers in Gouda and Century of Change rendered good publicity among collectors and historians interested in the history of ceramics, including pipes.

Another review was found in Westerheem, the magazine of the national society for amateur archaeologists.

In Knasterkopf, the German Yearbook of Clay Pipe Researchers, Dr. Martin Kügler reviewed both books thoroughly. He was most enthusiastic about Duco’s new book on the Gouda Pipe Marks, and insists that this manual should be the only reference for Dutch clay pipes found wherever in the world.

For the promotion of our publications, being the most important expression of the Pijpenkabinet Museum, we have printed a full colour list of these. All covers are clearly and prominently illustrated on an A4 sheet.

Bugatti, pipe of the Century
The only Dutch pipe factory, Koninklijke Fabriek van Tabakspijpen Elbert Gubbels & Zonen BV (Royal Gubbels and Sons), produced several special pipes designed by famous firms. Next to the success of the Porsche Design Pipe, they have recently issued the Bugatti Pipe. This tobacco pipe is not only a new design, but also a revolutionary combination of alternative materials, merged in an ultra-modern technique: a pipe bowl of plastics fitted into an aluminium frame, containing a ceramic inner bowl, completed by an acrylic mouthpiece. This unexpected combination results in a cool and dry smoking quality, packed in a modern and stylish shape.

The epithet on “Pipe of the Century” might even be too humble for this special pipe.

You might be interested into its special price: € 550, available in black and dark blue, of course to be ordered at Smokiana Pipeshop. Or come by for an immediate purchase.

Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 17.654.

Acquisitions

Giant meerschaum pipe
This spring the Pijpenkabinet Museum managed to acquire a great pipe, both in quality and size. The pipe-bowl measures 23 cm in height and is carved with an ongoing scene of a horse-mounted Arab, attacked by sixteen soldiers.

The pipe has a solid silver mounting and lid, engraved and sawn. The lid itself has the shape of a ten-sided crown with a standing warrior on each of the panels, surmounted by a tapered top of open silverwork.

The pipe with its massive size and transparent mounting is absolutely a showpiece among the smoking equipment of a German nobleman. Although the shape could be Hungarian or Austrian, it is more probable that this piece is of German origin. It dates from around 1875.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 17.550

Choice from the Kaye collection
Allan Kaye is a pipe smoker and together with his wife Angela they are collectors of wood sculptures. From 1970 to 1985 they have collected pipes in a most unusual way. They commissioned pipes at a large number of wood carvers in the US and Canada, asking them to follow their own style while creating a pipe. The bowls of the briar pipes ended up as animals, Indians, portraits of men and women. A few years ago Allen offered several of his one-of-a-kind pipes for sale. Now we have bought his entire pipe collection. Fifty of the most stunning and original pipes are added to the museum collection of the Pijpenkabinet. A few others are for sale in the Smokiana Pipeshop.
Amsterdam, Pijpenkabinet collections Pk 17.551 - 17.603

Donations
- Pk 17.637 shop card Gambier, Alain en Elisabeth Demoly, Paris
- Pk 17.639 American pipe, Mrs. M. Kikkert, Amsterdam
- Pk 17.654 Bugatti pijp, Elbert Gubbels & Zonen BV, Roermond
- porcelain pipe, Mrs.G. Bosma, Oosterwijzwerd
- documentation, Sebastiaan Ostkamp, Amsterdam
- documentation, Ferry Bertholet, Amsterdam
- documentation, Patricia Jansma, Amsterdam
- documentation, Louis Bracco Gartner, Delft
- documentation, Frans Brouwer, Amsterdam

Link of the month
Among the hundreds or even thousands of websites on pipes and pipe smoking, one in particular deserves special mention: http://www.Tabacollector.com

Jean-Christoph Millet, an enthusiastic pipe collector in France, has made and developed the site. During the years he added pages, describing his acquisitions, including fine pictures and historical descriptions. Every up-date of his site is announced with an e-mail notice, for which you can subscribe on the site.

Exhibitions
The Kamper Tabaksmuseum (Tobacco museum in Kampen, Holland) organises during this period an exhibition on match stands under the title: Matchstand or phidibus stand ? The exhibition marks the edition of a new book on Dutch match stands titled Nederlandse lucifershouders van 1840 tot 1940, (141 pag, full colour) written by J.U. Postma, a passionate collector who researched the subject for many years. A choice of the Postma collection is on display until the end of this month in Kampen.

In Tourcoing, a suburb of Lille in the North of France, the Centre d’Histoire Locale organises an exhibition entitled Nom d’une Pipe!. Attention is being paid to the production of clay tobacco pipes in the northern parts of France, in addition to the history of tobacco, the use and so on. A special part includes the objects relating to the use of tobacco from the past four centuries. On view until the end of December 2005.

In the Clemens-Sels-Museum in the German city of Neuss from 4th September until 6th November the exhibition Rauch-Zeichen, Kultur- und Regionalgeschichtliches zum Tabakgenuss is being held. The exhibition deals with the history of the use of tobacco through the centuries.

On October 15th th an exhibition will be opened in the Schlesischen Museum zu Görlitz, the local museum of Görlitz in Germany near the Polish border. This exhibition, entitled Tabak und Pfeifen in Schlesien, which focuses on clay tobacco pipes produced in the region from 1640’s up to the late nineteenth century, is organized by Martin Kügler. A film on the pipe making process and even a working pipe making machine is part of the show, that ends 29th January-01- 2006.

Pipe care and repair service
As many pipe-smoking customers of Smokiana Pipeshop know, we took over the famous Amsterdam repair workshop of Mr. Han Schellings about a year ago. This pipe repairer ran from the 1950’s a workshop in the basement of Reguliersdwarsstraat in Amsterdam. Repairs by Schellings were renowned all over the country. When he closed down his workshop he continued his work for several years. In the meantime, Schellings has passed the age of 75 and decided to retire.

In taking over this workshop, including specialised tools, stocks of pipe stems and other items, the Pijpenkabinet can now continue this service.

The Pipe Repair Service comprises polishing, new mouthpieces, repair of broken taps and restoration of antique pipes. This kind of handicraft is becoming rare in The Netherlands: the Pijpenkabinet has the only repair service in the country and not related to a specific brand of pipe. For that reason we can offer a ready-in-one-week service.

Pijpenkabinet representation
As usual, the Pijpenkabinet will have a stand at the National Collector’s Fair in Utrecht, taking place 19th and 20th November 2005. We haven’t got a stand number yet, but you can’t miss us in the Curiosity Hall. See you there if possible !

Pijpenkabinet in October temporary closed
After five years of operating, some of the technical installations of the Pijpenkabinet Museum have to be renewed. The works are planned from 22nd to 29th October. During that period visits are restricted. So, if you plan to visit the Museum, give us a call or e-mail to make an appointment and find out what the possibilities are. We try to be as hospital as possible.

On other occasions you are most welcome during our regular opening hours from Wednesday to Saturday included, from noon to 6 PM.

Special offer
Recently we obtained three copies of the most popular and sought after book by Jean-Léo called Les pipes en terre françaises, privately edited in Brussels in 1971. This book is the first monograph on French figural clay pipes, a standard work and nowadays scarce. The book is a limited edition in 500 copies, having a remarkably attractive lay out and printed on various types of art paper. For those who are interested, this book in mint condition is available at € 125,-.

Unfortunately we can only serve a few amateurs; first come, first served!

End of this 3rd Newsletter

Thank you for your interest and till the next issue !
We are happy to respond to any reactions or questions. Just click on mailto:info@pijpenkabinet .

Benedict Goes
Public Services Pijpenkabinet

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