Chinese silver alloy water tobacco pipe with hanging accessories
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
late Qing dynasty and the early Republican period
This exceptionally complete Chinese water tobacco pipe, dating to the late Qing dynasty or early Republican period, is crafted from a white metal identified as a Chinese silver alloy or traditional paktong (nickel silver).
The object features a rectangular body that integrates both the water chamber and a tobacco reservoir. The device retains its original components, including an elongated stem, detachable mouthpiece, hinged tobacco compartment, and a suspension chain connected to a cleaning brush and an engraved hanging identification tag. The body is decorated with hand-engraved literati scenes, featuring a robed scholar in a mountainous landscape, accompanied by flowing calligraphic poetic inscriptions.
The hanging tag is engraved on one side with the auspicious blessing 'Wan Shou Chang Chun' (Ten Thousand Years of Longevity and Everlasting Spring), while the reverse features a semi-cursive xingshu script inscription. This pipe demonstrates the sophisticated craftsmanship of historical Chinese smoking implements, serving as both a utilitarian object and an expression of scholarly refined taste.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Width
- 8.5 in.
- Height
- 9 in.
- Weight
- 528 grams
- Material
- Chinese silver alloy or paktong (nickel silver)
Technical characteristics
- Components
- water chamber, tobacco reservoir, stem, mouthpiece, cleaning brush, hanging tag
Design
- Engraving
- literati landscape, robed scholar, flowering trees, poetic inscriptions, xingshu calligraphy
- Inscriptions
- Wan Shou Chang Chun (Ten Thousand Years of Longevity and Everlasting Spring)
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.