Tobacco pipe, stem and mouthpiece, Germany, Ulm, c. 1850.

Tobacco pipe, stem and mouthpiece, Germany, Ulm, c. 1850.
Walnut root wood, silver, wood and bone.
Presents some flaws.
Measurements: 14 x 10 x 3 cm; 27 cm.
Pipe for smoking tobacco from the 19th century that preserves stem and mouthpiece. Pipes, in particular, have been considered true pieces of art and material testimony of epochs and styles. Made of various materials such as wood, clay, sea foam or even precious metals, many of them reflect the aesthetics, technology and values of the societies that produced them. Their careful manufacture and ornamental design turned some of them into luxury objects, worthy of being collected and preserved.
Today, beyond the debate surrounding tobacco consumption and its effects, pipes represent a field of interest for collectors, anthropologists and museologists. Their value lies not only in their rarity or antiquity, but also in what they reveal about everyday practices, the evolution of industrial design and the history of consumption. Thus, these objects transcend their original function to become bearers of cultural memory.