Pipe Bowl (Cleveland Museum of Art 2012.42)
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
possibly 1800s
Carved from a deep green, translucent stone with a highly polished surface, this exquisite example of an extremely rare type of pipe bowl originates from the Eastern Cape Province in South Africa.
Like the few other known examples, this pipe bowl would have been complemented by a stem, now lost, made from wood or reed or another less durable material. It is believed that such nephrite pipe bowls were copied from stone examples introduced by 17th-century Dutch settlers in the Cape region. In southern Africa, smoking tobacco and taking snuff were and still are enjoyed as activities that establish or solidify harmonious social relationships.
In addition to their practical function as smoking devices, pipes of unusual and therefore costly materials and in fancy and refined shapes and forms, like this example, served as markers of rank and status and indicated prestige and socioeconomic prominence. Cleveland Museum of Art object 2012.42: Pipe Bowl, possibly 1800s. Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southern Nguni-style maker. Nephrite and metal; overall: 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.).
Details are those of this museum object; how far it represents a wider type has not been independently verified.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 2
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Historical context
This object is made of nephrite, one of two different mineral species called jade; the other is jadeite.
Physical characteristics
- Materials
- Nephrite and metal
- Dimensions
- Overall: 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.)
- Measurements
- Overall: 5.5 cm (2 3/16 in.)
- Material and technique
- Nephrite and metal
Identification
- Date recorded
- possibly 1800s
- Culture period
- Africa, Southern Africa, South Africa, Southern Nguni-style maker
- Holding institution
- Cleveland Museum of Art
- Museum object number
- 2012.42
- Published references
- Art and Ambiguity: Perspectives on the Brenthurst Collection of Southern African Art, exhibition catalogue, 1991, Johannesburg Art Gallery. Klopper, Sandra and Karel Nel, The Art of Southeast Africa from the Conru Collection, Milan: 5 Continents, 2008. Lewin, David 2007, The Spirit of Africa: Southern Africa by Design, exhibition catalogue, 24 April- 30 September, Clayarch Gimhae Museum, Gyeongsangnam-ho, South Korea. Ratzel, Friedrich, The History of Mankind: (V. 2) (1896-98), Cornell University Library's Digital Collection, 2009. Cleveland Museum of Art. Cleveland Art: The Cleveland Museum of Art Members Magazine . Vol. 53 no. 02, March/April 2013 Mentioned and reproduced: p. 25
- Museum classification
- Tools and Equipment
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.
Research required
- Research required: this record describes a single museum object; confirm maker, materials and date against pipe references.