Tobacco pipe, stem and mouthpiece; France, c. 1860.

Tobacco pipe, stem and mouthpiece; France, c. 1860.
Walnut wood, bone and glass.
Measurements: 11 x 4.5 x 8.5 cm; 16 cm.
Tobacco pipe made in France around 1860, an example of European folk art applied to everyday objects. Made of walnut wood, with bone applications and glass details, the pipe stands out for its functionality as well as for its expressive and decorative charge.
The structure of the pipe is composed of three essential parts: the bowl, the stem and the mouthpiece. The bowl, carefully carved in the shape of a caricatured human head, reveals a face with exaggerated features and a severe gesture, possibly humorous or satirical, alluding to popular characters or social types of the 19th century.
The stem, turned with bulbous forms, connects the carved head with the curved mouthpiece, also ornamented, which gives an elegant and ergonomic finish to the whole. The use of bone and glass adds a material and visual refinement that suggests that this pipe was not only a utilitarian instrument, but also a prestige or collector's item.