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THBPair of 19th C. Zulu Smoking Pipes - Gourd and Mirror
Lot 72g
About Seller
Artemis Fine Arts
686 S Taylor Ave, Ste 106
Louisville, CO 80027
United States
Selling antiquities, ancient and ethnographic art online since 1993, Artemis Gallery specializes in Classical Antiquities (Egyptian, Greek, Roman, Near Eastern), Asian, Pre-Columbian, African / Tribal / Oceanographic art. Our extensive inventory includes pottery, stone, metal, wood, glass and textil...Read more
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Live Auction in Progress ... Currently on Lot Estimate:
$400 - $600
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About Auction
Live
By Artemis Fine Arts
Aug 22, 2025
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2025-08-22 10:00:00
2025-08-22 10:00:00
America/New_York
Bidsquare
Bidsquare : Indigenous Art - Ralph T. Coe Center, Santa Fe, NM
https://www.bidsquare.com/auctions/artemis-gallery/indigenous-art---ralph-t-coe-center-santa-fe-nm-20324
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
Featuring works of art from the Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts in Santa Fe, New Mexico, a non-profit focused on promoting Indigenous Arts globally. All proceeds from the sale of these items will support future grants to Rehoming Program participants. Artemis Fine Arts info@artemisfinearts.com
View Full Catalog (452)
- Lot Description
Southern Africa, South Africa, Zulu people, ca. late 19th to early 20th century CE. A remarkable pairing of two traditional Zulu smoking pipes, each reflecting distinct craftsmanship, cultural expression, and period style. The first, dating to the early 20th century CE, is an elongated pipe formed from a natural gourd, its curving neck and bulbous bowl reinforced with tightly woven copper wire bands. The stem is carved from wood, the organic form of the calabash preserving both elegance and functionality. The second, from the late 19th century CE, is a compact wooden pipe notable for its circular inset mirror framed within the body - a rare and visually arresting feature. This mirror, now weathered with age, may have served as an aesthetic embellishment or symbolic element. Size of larger (gourd): 11.8" L x 3.1" W x 3.9" H (30 cm x 7.9 cm x 9.9 cm)
Tobacco smoking, introduced to southern Africa in the 17th century via trade routes, was swiftly integrated into Zulu social and ceremonial life. Pipes such as these were not only utilitarian but also status objects, often given as gifts or displayed during gatherings. The materials speak to trade and resource adaptation: calabash gourds cultivated locally, wood carved with precision, copper wire likely acquired through regional exchange, and in the mirrored example, imported glass transformed into a culturally resonant object. Together, these pipes demonstrate the artistry of Zulu pipe-making traditions - balancing utility, ornament, and the subtle conveyance of prestige. Their survival in such condition offers a rare view into the material culture of a society where objects were imbued with both practical and symbolic meaning.
Gourd pipe was exhibited "The Mirror Effect: Reflections upon our Realities," Hands-On Curatorial Program exhibition May-July 2017 at Ralph T. Coe Foundation for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA and published in the exhibition catalogue on page 8.
Provenance: Ralph T. Coe Center for the Arts, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA, acquired in 2010 via descent; ex-private collection of Ralph T. Coe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; Gourd: ex-Nomads of Santa Fe, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA; Mirror: purchased in February 2004; ex-Taylor "Tad" Dale Gallery, Santa Fe, New Mexico, USA
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#196445Mirror pipe has chipping and losses to mirror with old break and repair to wooden handle. Gourd has chip to mouthpiece, fissure to pitch, and heavy encrustations to bowl, but is otherwise intact. Both have expected age wear and patina to surface.Condition
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