American tobacco pipes

The use of tobacco and the habit of smoking are the oldest in Meso-America. Pipes from the Jama-Coaque culture in Ecuador dating 500 BC are the oldest in the Pijpenkabinet collections. Their tubular pipes can be embellished with true sculptures in human or animal shapes.

Many pipes from the pre-Columbian era were found in shaft graves in Mexico. Various tribes made terracotta pipes that are by nature fire resisting. Famous are the specimen with large bowls and a stem length of half a meter, typical for the Purepechas. In the Michoacan area figural pipes were shaped after the mescaline cactus. Another curiosity are pipes in the shape of an ankle and foot, the tows leaning out of the pipe as a smoke tube.

The North-American Indians start smoking with tubular pipes as well, here made in stone. The typical tobacco pipe of the American Indian tribes is called calumet or peace pipe. The stone pipe bowl is mounted with a decorated wooden stem. The most famous is the red coloured catlinite, found in a special area. The oldest member of the tribe is responsible for the keeping of the pipe that serves ceremonial purposes mainly.

Another remarkable pipe is the tomahawk, a pipe in the shape of an axe with opposite to the blade a pipe bowl connected with the smoke tube in the handle of the axe. The tomahawk was imported by the Europeans in large quantities and was exchanged with the Indians for hides. Often the stem is decorated with feathers and quillwork.

Smoking pipes from South-America often resemble the shapes and styles from the Northern regions. Typical are the tubular pipes with a fish shaped mouthpiece. From the renowned North-American calumet a ceramic version is introduced. Europeans import the famous oval shaped pipe bolws, soon imitated in local styles.

The Haida on Queen Charlotte Island in Alaska use the black to dark brown argilite for their pipes. A lot of these tobacco pipes are artistically carved with original and unexpected motifs. Even the imported clay tobacco pipes are copied in stone.

When America is overloaded with European immigrants new types of pipe production starts. Then we meet with semi industrial products in local varieties like the Pamplin and Point Pleasant pipes. From technical point of view and in shape they are copies of the European pipes, however the American aspect of the work is recognisable.

 tubular pipe representing a mythological animal, Jama-Coaque, Ecuador, 500-300 BC tubular pipe with along the stem a human figure, Tarraskan, Michoacan, Mexico, 800-1200
stemmed pipe with a traditional funnel shaped bowl standing on two feet, Colma, Mexico, 400-800 ceremonial pipe having a funnel shaped bowl and two small feet, Chinesco, Mexico, 200-350
ceremonial pipe in backed reducing technique, Chinesco, Mexico, 300-400
detail of the mescaline cactus with cooling ribs, Tarrascan, Michoacan, Mexico, 300-600 cactus pipe with the stem as imaginary air root, Tarrascan, Michoacan, Mexico, 800-1000
impressive pipe with the bowl in the shape of a mescaline cactus, Tarrascan, Michoacan, Mexico, 300-600 the shape of the bowl derived of the mescaline cactus but without any decoration, Tarrascan, Michoacan, Mexico, 800-1000
a nose warmer, the bowl standing on a human foot, the big toe is the mouthpiece, Colima, Mexico, 200 BC-300 AD
tobacco pipe in the stem a foot, the big toe is the mouth piece, Colima, Mexico, 0-300
tobacco pipe on the base of the bowl a stilized hand or foot, Colima, Mexico, 0-300
beautiful pipe with in the stem a colibri, the beak on the rim of the bowl, Teotihuacan, Mexico, 300-600
funnel shaped pipe bowl on triangular base, a pet animal on the stem, Mixteck, Mexico, 800-1200
primitive stone pipe with tubular shape, California, 1200-1700
so-called platform pipe or Hopewell effigy pipe, Ohio, USA, 1850-1900
stone pipe with animal head on the stem end and on the stem near to the bowl a sitting beaver, Indians, North-America, 1750-1850 stone pipe with the stem elongated showing piercings on the end to attach feather decorations, Cherokee-Indians, North-America, 1800-1900
typical pipe in red catlinite, the stem elongated and is many sided, Plains, North-America, 1800-1900 pipe stem with quill-work and bird's feathers on the end, South-Dakota, North-America, 1800-1900
large pipe from catlinite with concentric ring decoration round the bowl and stem, a decorated wooden stem with brass nail decoration, Plains, North-America, 1880-1920 pipe bowl in wood as imitation of the typical Indian calumet, USA, 1800-1900
the well-known tomahawk wiht axe shaped base to hold the pipe bowl, North-American Indians, 1750-1850 ceremonial pipe with colourfull beadwork, Indian, Labrador, Canada, 1940-1970 calumet made from catlinite, Indian, North-America, 1840-1890
stone pipe bowl shaped as the blade of an ax with mask on the front, USA, 1880-1900
tomahawk in iron having a brass pipebowl on the top, North-American Indian, 1800-1880
tomahawk with axe shape and pipe bowl on the top, North-America, 1900-1920
tubular pipe in wood, the mouth piece in fish shape, Paraquoi, 1880-1900 ceramic tobacco pipe shaped after an American Indian calumet, Paraquoy, 1800-1900
tubular pipe bowl with stem on the side, Pueblo Indians, 1850-1900
local American pipe after an European example, USA, 1800-1900
oval shaped pipe bowl decorated with beavers, Haida, Queen Charlotte Island, Alaska, 1800-1850
functional stoneware pipe bowl, Pamplin Smoking Pipe & Manufacturing Comp. Inc., Pamplin, Virginia, USA, 1900-1940
pipe copied from the English clay pipe in black stone, Haida, Queen Charlotte Island, Alaska, 1800-1850
souvenir pipe shaped like a square tower, inscription JAMESTOWN 1607 1907, USA, 1907
figural pipe bowl in yellowish clay, Point-Pleasant, Ohio, USA, 1850-1920 figural pipe bowl in brown stone ware, Point-Pleasant, Ohio, 1850-1920

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