Carved walnut pipe case
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
ca.1680 - ca.1720
This object is a carved walnut pipe case crafted to house and protect a relatively short clay tobacco pipe. Constructed from two pieces of walnut forming a main body and a lid, the case includes a hollow stem section, a ventilation hole at the mouthpiece tip, and an opening bowl compartment secured by a brass hinge and catch. The tip of the stem is fitted with a ring made of ivory or bone, and the interior channel for the pipe stem was likely bored using a heated metal rod.
The stem is turned and carved with decorative motifs, featuring a central ornamental boss, four elongated teardrop-shaped piercing slots, and regular linear patterns. The forward-swept bowl compartment is sculpted in high relief with the bust of a man wearing a scuttle-shaped hat or helmet, depicted with an aquiline nose, a strong chin, and a heavy moustache. Below the chin, the spur extends into a looping scroll with an openwork pierced section.
Attributed probably to the Netherlands, the pipe case dates to between circa 1680 and circa 1720 by an unknown maker. It measures 29.5 cm in total length, with a nozzle diameter of 0.8 cm, an exterior bowl height of 6 cm, and an interior bowl height of 5.5 cm.
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.
Historical context
As tobacco smoking spread through Europe in the seventeenth century, protective cases were made to prevent fragile clay pipes from breaking when carried outdoors. While long pipes were commonly smoked at home or in inns, shorter pipes could be kept in pockets. The bust on this case is likely a generic depiction of a man from the Ottoman Empire, an area then closely linked with tobacco use. The object was donated to the Victoria and Albert Museum in 1928 by collector W. Sanders-Fiske.
Physical characteristics
- Material
- Turned and carved walnut, ivory, brass
- Dimensions
- Length: 29.5 cm; Diameter (nozzle): 0.8 cm; Height (bowl compartment): 5.5 cm; Height (bowl compartment): 6 cm
Technical characteristics
- Maker recorded
- unknown
- Place recorded
- Netherlands
Identification
- Source note
- Transcribed from the Victoria and Albert Museum collection record for this single object; how far it represents a wider collectible type has not been independently verified.
- Museum object name
- Pipe case
- Museum object number
- W.163-1928
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.