Object Details
- Label Text
- This pipe shows the typical geometric designs and 3-part construction--mouthpiece, stem, bowl--of most Kuba pipes. However, the projecting hemisphere with a hole rather than an open bowl indicates that it probably held a cigarette rather than loose tobacco. This would date the pipe to after 1915. Additionally, the mouthpiece is made of bone--a rather unusual material for pipes such as these.
- Description
- Wood pipe with stem composed of a flared bowl with a dome top with a small hole, possibly for the insertion of a cigarette. The pipe is decorated with a raised interlace motif.
- Provenance
- Alexander J. Bastos, Chevy Chase, Maryland, -- to 1974
- Exhibition History
- African Emblems of Status, National Museum of African Art, Smithsonian Institution, Washington, D.C., October 29, 1982-April 3, 1983
- Content Statement
- As part of our commitment to accessibility and transparency, the Smithsonian National Museum of African Art is placing its collection records online. Please note that some records are incomplete (missing image or content descriptions) and others reflect out-of-date language or systems of thought regarding how to engage with and discuss cultural heritage and the specifics of individual artworks. If you see content requiring immediate action, we will do our best to address it in a timely manner. Please email nmafacuratorial@si.edu if you have any questions.
- Image Requests
- High resolution digital images are not available for some objects. For publication quality photography and permissions, please contact the Eliot Elisofon Photographic Archives at https://africa.si.edu/research/eliot-elisofon-photographic-archives/
- Data Source
- National Museum of African Art
- Maker
- Kuba artist
- Date
- Mid-20th century
- Credit Line
- Gift of Alexander J. Bastos
- Medium
- Wood, bamboo, bone
- Dimensions
- H x W x D: 18.1 x 43.5 x 6 cm (7 1/8 x 17 1/8 x 2 3/8 in.)
- Type
- Sculpture
