tobacco pipe
tobacco pipe
Culture
Kongo people
Creation date
mid-19th to late 19th century
Materials
ceramic, wood
Credit line
Gift of the Alliance of the Indianapolis Museum of Art
Accession number
1994.27
Currently On View In
Eiteljorg Suite of African and Oceanic Art
This is one of the many personal items from Central Africa. Smoking tobacco or inhaling tobacco snuff into the nose is an everyday activity for both men and women. Tobacco pipes and mortars enhance everyday pleasure for both user and viewer. Kongo artists made the two pipes for export to Europe and America. The male figure sitting atop an animal wears European-style clothing.
