While I am not currently a pipe smoker, I still instantly recognize the smell of Borkum Riff pipe tobacco which my grandfather used to smoke when I was a child. It is amazing how smells can bring back such memories. This past weekend while visiting my 93 year old mother, she brought out the old pipe pictured here. The pipe belonged to my great, great, great grandmother who came to Texas from Alabama in 1844, which is when Texas was still an independent country. I spent some time searching for similar items on-line and found this forum where others had requested similar help in identifying a pipe. I wondered if anyone could help identify this pipe for us? We can see no obvious maker markings and are just curious about the pipe. Thanks for any help you can give.
Help Identifying Old Pipe
- Thread starter ACLOIS
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Porcelain pipe most likely made in northern Europe, probably Holland. They were pretty commonplace in the 19th century. Are there any hallmarks on the metal work? Its in the Kalmasch style as opposed to the Jaeger pfeifen style of porcelain. The Jaeger pfeifen is a little more common.
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Rustie, I had wondered if the pattern on the metal lid (image is posted with original posting) was some type of trademark for the manufacturer as it seemed to be an odd image to me? Thanks for your help.
I'm not familiar with that image but if I had to make and educated guess I'd say it's a figure from mythology of some sort. Hallmarks would be very small and there would likely be 3 or 4 of them in a row.
I suspect the figure on the wind cap is supposed to be Jupiter/Zeus given the presence of the eagle and it's neo classical Greco/Roman style.
The painting looks more eastern european to me but I'm no expert. Here's a thread that occurred previously :
Here's an article about antique tobacco pipes that interesting:
If you want to have a stem remade for it their are artisans who can do that for you fairly inexpensively.
Porcelain Pipes :: General Pipe Smoking Discussion
I've just got a box load of these dating back to before WWI, however I know absolutely nothing about porcelain pipes. Is there anyone here who can point me in the right direction? Edit: Corrected capitalization in title, L.
pipesmagazine.com
Here's an article about antique tobacco pipes that interesting:
If you want to have a stem remade for it their are artisans who can do that for you fairly inexpensively.
Page 4 onward has pipe similar to yours ... looks like 1820-1845 era :
pipemuseum.nl
Amsterdam Pipe Museum - Collection
pipemuseum.nl
Very likely the original stem was made from cherry wood and the mouthpiece from (cow) horn and the two connected with a length of rubber tubing.