Studio Devona

Examples of Topics within Clay Pipe Studies...

1. General clay pipe collecting.
2. Where did the origin of clay pipes and smoking them begin.
3. Where to find them in the landscape or where to buy them, their value, where to sell them.
4. How to clean, care and display them.
5. Learning about decoration themes such as: Plain styles, Abstract, Animals, Plants, Men, Women, Famous People, Coat of Arms, Masonics, Religion, Politics, Humour, Irish Pipes, Scottish Pipes, Birds, Insects, Musical themes, Advertising, Commemoratives, Miniatures, Bubble pipes, Skulls, Devils, Monsters, Mermaids, Giant pipes, Royalty, Military, Maritime, Sports, Transport, etc.
6. Researching the topics of cultural history including events and people in history which inspired all the design themes.
7. Learning about the smoking culture in society and how clay pipes were used within that.
8. How they were made, what methods were used and how those changed over time. What clays were used and where they were extracted.
9. How the moulds themselves were made and the skills of engraving them.
10. The study of regional styles throughout the centuries, being able to distinguish a Mid 18th century London pipe from one made in Bristol.
11. Pipe bowl evolution throughout the centuries relating to: Bowl size and shape, heel/spur shapes, bore hole sizes, milling, burnishing, stem lengths etc,
12. Makers marks throughout history - marks appearing on the bowls, heels, spur and stems.
13. What makers used to produce them: Study of local makers, family census information, records going back to the late 16th century.
14. Researching the locations of pipe making sites which might involve professional archaeological excavations and writeups.
15. Learning about the history of the biggest mass producers in Europe who had global exports of countless millions of pipes for decades.
16. Study of surviving clay pipe makers catalogues.
17. What types of clay pipe were made around the world and how to tell the styles from regions and countries.
18. Clay pipes discovered at sites of: Castles, Battles, Shipwrecks, Buildings etc. and the specific study relating to this.
19. Clay pipes in the USA and Canada: Native American Pipes, Trade Pipes, Imports from Europe etc.
20. Books and Other Research Material, Archaeological Reports, Specialist books on clay pipes etc.
21. How to manufacture clay pipes today.
22. I am sure I have missed some out!

About my own interest in this topic - How it all began

My interest in clay pipes began as a family shared hobby with siblings when I was a child. Days out often involved exploring the villages and countryside learning about nature and local history; and where ever there was old looking soil we often found fragments of these broken pipes as well as assorted pottery which indicated that people of past times had been active in the area. On lucky occasions I found other nice items such as a pipe-clay dog toy and part of a Tudor period jug handle with a woman's face. Also stone age flints and metal items.

The first finds were simply smashed pieces of pipe stem and bowl that stood out against the darker soil. Some had small intricate patterns on them such as leaves and flowers, parts of pictures or even words and names. They looked almost natural in some ways with weathered surfaces but the elegant shapes were very eye-catching quite unlike anything else I had seen.

The pottery finds also made covered a wide date range but a lot of the Victorian period material was called Willow Pattern or Flowing Blue and had nice blue and white pieces. Some was Blue and Grey stoneware pottery imported from the lowlands.

So over the years I would find pieces of clay pipes, and complete bowls and in the late 70's to late 90's I was also researching old bottle dumps in the area and making finds there as well as looking around antique and bric-a-brac shops. When the WWW took off my older website helped to make connections with people all around the world and I was able to learn a lot faster and chat with thousands of people who had found clay pipes. Also there were online auctions where clay pipes could be found. My collection grew and grew and I think I must have had around 3500 at one time though I have drastically reduced the size of my collection now.

When you were young and living in Devon back in the 1970's you were taught all about the famous stories and the people that lived here, especially the Tudor Sea Captains that sailed to America to set up the Colonies and Queen Elizabeth I. Devon has so many historic families and old castles and in a way their stories live on and spoke to me from the past - I felt as though I wanted to reach out and touch them. I was told that some of the pieces of broken pipe that I found might date back to the time of Sir Walter Raleigh and I liked the thought of finding the very first pipes he had ever smoked although I later realised that people all over the country had them, especially by the end of the 17th Century.

Hayes Barton in Devon, England. Birth place of Sir Walter Raleigh the famous Devon born Sea Captain and Privateer who founded the Virginia Colony in the New World and was later sent in search of El Dorado Gold in South America. He is also known for making the habit of smoking in England popular in the Tudor period. Religious leaders of the time as well as King James Ist were not keen on the idea of this filthy habit and people were persecuted for smoking. I wonder what Sir Walter would have to say about the recent smoking bans; history has once again come a full circle. Perhaps blowing bubbles is the healthier option! It is said that when his servant first saw him smoking he thought that he was on fire and threw water over his head! I have made up a little ditty which I hope you will find amusing.

The first Clay Pipes

The earliest clay pipes known in England and Europe are generally thought to date from c.1580-1600 (see images) and are thought to have been small versions copied from styles smoked by the Native Indian tribes of the North/East American Continent. English mariners setting up the first colonies there were introduced to smoking which was cermonial but it was not long before smoking was taken up as a habit by them who travelled from port to port around the globe. The site of Historic Jamestown has recovered early examples during archaeological excavations and Sir Walter Raleigh's Colony at Roanoke Island is one of the places where the clay pipe was seen and recorded by John White.

Although the use of tobacco leaves was known by Europeans since the time of Columbus in 1492 only small amounts were brought back as an exotic herb for medicinal experimentation at first. The ancient people of Ecuador were using pipes as long ago as 500-300 BC in rituals and the region of Central America first colonised by visiting Europeans would have been very diverse in what it had to offer. It is not until the mid to late 16th Century that we begin to find written references to the smoking of clay pipes in England.

Tobacco would have been smoked, sniffed and chewed by early users and as we so often read about the oceans of the world at this time were used by traders, fishermen and of course pirates. Exactly who arrived back smoking a pipe is not known but pirates, privateers and early sailors were the first to bring it to the attention of people here in England and the smoking of a clay pipe was taken up very quickly.

Smoking attracted a lot of publicity among the rich Courtiers and soon after the common people. Sir Walter Raleigh is said to have made the habit more popular and even offered Queen Elizabeth a pipe. Smoking also attracted a lot of bad publicity and it was not long before Religious figures and King James (when he came to power) were condemning it as a filthy evil thing. However, crops of tobacco were grown in England (with a tax) and by the 1620's hundreds of men, women and children were taking up smoking.

Clay Pipes c.1600-1720

The earliest clays pipes were produced in England and Holland and had tiny bowls - no more than a pinch of tobacco as it was so expensive. By 1620 the habit was spreading rapidly and with crops supplying demand for consumption the price dropped. So the bowls were made bigger by potters who were now setting themselves up as pipe makers in their own right. In the image here we have styles dating c.1630, c.1650 and c.1720 showing how the bowls got bigger.

Throughtout the 17th Century the trend was for the pipe bowls to get bigger and the stems longer as makers became more confident and local fashions encouraged bowl styles. As usual the larger cities such as London as well as Amsterdam in the Netherlands provided the better products and regional pipe making areas also developed with their own quality products. There was a time in this Century that King James finally tried to wipe out smoking and had the crops destroyed but because the people were not favourable to this move it was decided to ban crops in England and have the Virgina Colonies import the product with tax duty applied.

By 1700 the clay pipe industry, like many others involved in trade, reached a peak and the pipe in the picture with the makers initials on the side is a good example of how much larger the bowls had become and how the form had taken on a more refined upright shape rather than the bulbous forms of the earlier smaller pieces.

The pipe on the left of this picture is an early Devon pipe made around 1610. You can see the size of it compared with a much later 1700-1720 period Devon pipe which is much more the modern size of a pipe bowl.

In the early 18th Century records of port books at Exeter in Devon, reveal that over 2 million clay pipes were being made and exported to places like Spain, America and Canada each year! Those figures do not include the numbers being made for local consumption but would also be very high. This would have been going on all over the country and especially where production was near to a Port. During the middle of the 18th Century the English clay pipe industry went into decline, mainly due to loss of trade within Europe for various reasons, America wanting to become independant, and the habit of snuff becoming more fashionable in the upper classes. Pipes continued to be made in lesser numbers though still popular and the style of bowl gradually evolved into more refined shapes as we will read later.

Some Typical London shapes 1580-1760

The image shows clay pipes from London dating from the 1580's smaller ones through to the larger ones of the mid 18th century. You can see the earlier smaller ones have bulbous shaped bowls with either a small spur or a flat heel on the base. These shapes remain the same until the end of the 17th century gradually getting bigger as tobacco got cheaper. Then in London a lot of the styles suddenly became long and tubular in the 1700's. After that in the first half of the 18th century the shapes changed again to an upright sort of style and what I call a banana shape. Also in the mid 18th century the smaller spur types come into fashion which are covered in the Armorial Pipe information below.

Regional English Styles c.1630-1770

The general shape of the English clay pipe bowl was similar all over the country until about the middle of the 17th century. At this time the industry really began to flourish and by the 1720 period there were pipe makers in all the major towns and cities. The size of the bowl had doubled to hold more tobacco which had become very affordable and the style of the bowl varied from region to region. Leading centres such as London and Bristol produced elegant slender shapes that contrasted with the thicker rugged looking pipes smoked by country folk. The photograph here shows a variety of these from locations including London, Bristol, Devon, Wiltshire, Shropshire and the North of England. It is sometimes possible to tell what part of the UK a pipe was produced in at this time period just by looking at the shape .

Armorial Clay Pipes c.1740-1800

These two images show very typical "armorial" designs recovered from London. They seem to have come into fashion around the middle of the 18th century and the bowl shape and form of decoration is very unique. They were copied around England but the majority of them and the best executed designs seem to turn up in London or major ports including Southampton/Portsmouth area.

They often carry coats of arms with Unicorns/Lions and really detailed shields with tiny lettering. A few show St George and the Dragon, Bacchus, Admiral Vernon's victories, other London associated arms. A lot of them also have large pointed spurs with some leaning forwards. These would have been pipes with very long stems, some curved. They were likely the best detailed pipes available in their time.

1790-1820 style Napoleonic Period

Typical Napoleonic War period pipe bowls showing the shape of the spur on the base are shown here. Although decades earlier most (but not all) plain pipes had a flat heel on the base of the bowl this was gradually phased out and by about 1760 spur pipes were the norm. English pipes often remained plain although in some areas decoration began to be used more often.

Themes on pipes in the second half of the 18th Century were often military emblems or Coats of Arms with large floral designs (not to be mistaken for the many produced also in the 19th Century - earlier pieces have very subtle bowl shapes). The ribbed pattens are also coming into fashion as this time too. In the 1790 to 1820 period the pipe bowls have this more distinctive shape as shown in these images. They also often have a more cylindrical spur with big initials on the sides.

Although numbers of pipes were not produced in the same quantity as the early 18th Century it seems that around the 1790's the industry took on a new lease of life and began to increase rapidly once again to reach a peak in the 1840-60's.

After the battle of Trafalgar a pipe was produced showing Nelson with a lowered flag on one side and Britannia on the other.Several versions exist and one is shown here.

Hole sizes in Pipe Stems

English Pipes: 1650, 1800, 1850

In the archaeological studies carried out on clay pipes (and believe me there are many!) mathematical formula's have been applied to explore the possibilities of dating them by the size of the hole in the stem. While these have been prooved to work fairly well where large groups (usually dozens-hundreds) have been found it is not always possible to date a random piece of broken stem by the size of the hole because there are many other factors that come into play. The thickness of the stem, surface finish and porosity, alignment of sides, tool marks, junction at base of the bowl etc. are just some of these. However, the larger thick more weathered pipe stems that are often found with a bigger hole in the middle tend to be earlier from the 17th-18th Centuries, whereas thinner stems with even sides, smoother surfaces and much smaller holes tend to be from the 19th Century. It is worth mentioning also here that Dutch pipes of the 18th Century have very long narrow stems with smaller holes whereas English pipes of the same period tend to have larger holes so this is another thing to be considered according to where finds are made. During the Victorian period some pipes were made in such a hurry and without thought for the smoker that the hole in the stem was not always practical or even joined with the bowl. The Manchester firm of Pollocks even used umbrella spokes at one time!

English Pipes 1830-1860

A group of typical English clay pipes dating from the early Victorian period. These tend to be smaller than the Napoleonic times and have very delicate thin walled bowls, often a narrow pointed spur with initials of the master pipe maker who ran the business on the side. Ribs, Scallops and Leaf designs were common then, often also incorporating symbolism for Inns or masonics. A number of English makers were also producing simple face styles, usually military dragoons, turks or druids. Some of the scalloped and ribbed bowls are very elegant with the lines following the curve of the bowl perfectly. Some have sets of very tiny leaves on the front and back. Finds of this period are very frequent in gardens as the 1840's was a peak time for production. Often only the bases of the bowls survive but they can be enough to identify the time period and sometimes the maker which is highly useful for archaeologists and local history groups. The ones featured in the picture here were made in Bristol as well as the Isle of Wight. They were all found by myself at a site of an old Inn in Torbay.

On the example here the mould lines are not trimmed well because it saved time in production at a period when these early English fancy pipes were in high demand. The mould engraving is often also very simple and you can see where the tools have often slipped. In other cases the moulds did not line up properly.

Victorian Period Fancy Pipes

All the pipes in the next two images date from c.1840 to 1930.

From about the 1790's a number of French decided to take up clay pipe making, often copying some of the Dutch styles of that time but also bringing in a new form of pipe which had a bowl and a fitted stem. The French became so good at making clay pipes that by the 1840's they were producing a vast range of "fancy" pipes which had a huge influence on English pipe makers and other industries around Europe.

Pipe makers began to compete with the more exotic designs coming in from the continent. The English pipe industry moved into a gradual decline again by the 1910's, not only were they competing with other countries products but the trade in England was also becoming more centralised with larger firms in parts of the county taking the lead and smaller country workshops closing down.

The pipes styles and designs throughout the 19th and early 20th Centuries were vast; covering almost any and every topic you could think of. It was a way of advertising and promoting not only a skilled maker but also a celebration of life at that time and the social history taking place. After WWI and the coming of cigarettes the clay pipe industry almost dies out completely. Just a few workshops continued to provide for the few loyal smokers and there were several big producers such as Pollocks in Manchester who carried on up until the 1990's. In Scotland W.White and Mc.Dougall were going until the 1960's and in Shropshire at Broseley the Southern Family went on until the 1960's. Because these were the only big producers left they exported millions globally so we find a lot of their products around.

RAOB pipes

A very common pipe design occuring with dozens of variations and still made today. These were mainly produced from about 1850 but most often date from about 1865 to 1930. They are usually short "cutty" (4 inch working men's pipe) with thick bowls or "straw" (slightly longer narrow stem of about 7 inches) with thinner more elegant bowls.

Information kindly supplied by an RAOB member with thanks...

"The Royal Antediluvian Order of Buffalo's is a society which was formed in the mid 19th century. Records show that the seeds were first sewn in about 1822 by the theatrical fraternity but the Buffs as we know it surfaced some years later. The first charter formalising the RAOB was written in 1866. There are records of early ceremonies and the first mention found of clay pipes being used was in 1848. In that Initiation ceremony the pipe was broken over the candidates head. There is no mention of the design or style of the pipe used and sometimes a plain churchwarden pipe is used instead of the type with horns on the bowl. In the modern initiation ceremony the candidate breaks the pipe near his heart (its less traumatic). In senior ceremonies a pipe is broken on the candidates shoulder. The RAOB are still very active today doing much charity work."

Sometimes the RAOB pipes were signed by members of the lodge and kept as keepsakes. There must have been many thousands of Buff members in the population because I would say next to the very common plain pipes that are found, the RAOB pipes are next.

There are so many variations of these pipes you could create a single large collection with just RAOB pipes! Some have the design on the front and some on the back. Most have the lettering and horns while others have a bull head. Still others have designs which overlap with other favoured pipe patterns. And some have the whole bowl shaped like a bull head. I would imagine that most pipe making workshops of the c.1880-1920 period had a mould for an RAOB design.

Irish Theme Pipes

Irish pipes are extremely common and were mainly made during the later 19th - 20th Centuries and still made today. Political and Patriotic topics are usually the case with slogan's relating to Home Rule, United Ireland and names of politicians. Sometimes the head of Parnell is moulded as on the example shown further below.

Irish and Scottish pipes turn up globally in great numbers as many folk emigrated and are very popular with smokers and family historians with links to these countries. Many Irish people were hard working and were employed to build roads, houses, railways and canals so you get a lot of Irish designs where the work was happeneing. I have come across a few pipes that were hand painted like this later souvenir of Ireland example shown.

The Harp and Shamrock also appear in many forms on these pipes and a number of plain bowls have "Dublin" or "O'Brien" or "Mayo St" impressed on the back - not all originate from Ireland as most were later made in Scotland and by Northern English makers for Irish people after the decline of production in that original country.

This is an unusual and well made Irish pipe with the heads of two politicians, both with their arms raised together forming the stem - I imagine a United Ireland theme.

Sport pipes

A popular theme from the c.1880's onwards are sport pipes. Football is the most common with many variations of normal sized pipes and also miniatures and giant versions made. Other sporting pipes included, boxing, horse riding, tennis, games, running, cricket, golf and fishing. Sometimes clubs had batches made with their local names and slogan's on the stem.

These examples show a dice, Football, Bike Riding, Cricket, and also a couple of giant sized football pipes too. The giant pipes were for novelty and advertising value.

More football variations shown here, also Horse riding jockey Fred Archer who rode Donavan. Other horse jumping pipes and also roller-scating (there would have been small metal wheels on this pipe too!)

Some pipes commemorate early parachute jumps from hot air balloons, a novelty at first but also taken up during WWI for combat. There was a pipe showing the game of Ping Pong too.

John Bull, Black man, Sailor

Three English Figural pipes made in the 1870-1920 period.  These are all nice pieces for people to collect and variations of them exist as well as other subjects including Women, Animals, Military people, Politicians etc. The Black man and the Sailor pipes were often used to advertise brands of the best tobacco. These three all had short curved stems.

Royalty portrayed on Clay Pipes

Although members of the Dutch Royal Family were portrayed on clays as early as the 17th Century it was not until the 19th Century that the majority of Royal Theme pipes were produced. Queen Victoria seems to have been very popular with versions not only showing her on the side of the bowl but with the entire bowl shaped as her head. A few typical examples are shown in this image from my collection. These were made by English, French, German and Dutch pipe makers.

Bird Claw Pipes

The Claw Pipe was created in many forms too - very popular and common to find. The big eagle claws are very striking, some fitted with a stem of another material and some with a full clay stem.

Other bird claws include chicken claws and some are so simple and badly made they only just look like bird claws. Early claw pipes seem to have come into fashion c.1840's and were popular through to the 1930's. They are still made today.

There are so many bird claw pipes you could create a collection just from this one theme!

Horse

Many animals were depicted on pipes including horses, dogs, cats, pigs, buffalo's, bears, foxes. This horse pipe made late in the 19th century uses the entire animal in a well balanced way. My uncle found this one in a draw at a junk shop he visited in Torquay in the 1970's and I have only ever seen it twice in several decades.

Miniature and Toy Pipes

Smaller pipes were also made and often follow the same themes as normal sized pieces. They were made a novelty items, as small cigarette holders and for children to blow bubbles from. In this groups we have themes which include Dogs, Birds, Acorn, Owls, A Gun, Flags and Scallop Pattern. These all date c.1880-1930

The style of this group with the little rounded bowls and arched stems were made by English firms such as the Southern Family of Broseley but also imported from Germany (the word Germany sometimes seen on the stem). They come in several colours of clay including red and brown, also with a glazed varnish on them. Subjects include, flowers, baskets, rabbits, footballers, dotted pattens etc.

Giant Pipes

The large pipes, known as cadger's or advertiques were created as display pieces for tobacco shop windows and also for novelty value. They were also sometimes used at functions where they were lit and passed around a group of smokers so you often find they have been smoked. A number of variations of the St.Nicholas pipe exist as well as a large black man's head, The Crystal Palace Exhibition and Football. They were made in large numbers so often come up for sale.

Here we have the large black man which is also sometimes painted black or with coloured eyes and mouth. The very nice Father Christmas design was made by Charles Crop of London and there is Fred Archer, the jocky who rode on Donavan.

Several versions of large pipe also show the London Great Exhibtion Building as well as the Building at Crystal Palace. I am sure these pipes were also shown off as these exhibitions too. Again these were made in large numbers and often come up for sale.

Dutch Clay Pipes

Dutch clay pipes were made from c.1610 and right up until the c.1960's. They are a whole amazing study in their own right. A lot of Dutch clay pipes have always been a favorite of mine and I enjoy collecting these. There are good books on Dutch pipes - many available through the Pipe Museum of Amsterdam and featured in the book list further down this page. Also a lot of Dutch pipes had makers marks which have been very well studied with books to cover them.

A few 17th century examples shown here, some with decorations and some with glaze on the bowls. One has a pinched stem and the highly decorated one shown has a theme related to William of Orange.

Dutch pipes of the 17th Century shown here are often very well made with highly burnished surfaces that feel very smooth to the touch. Some have patterns rolled on the stems.

During the 18th century Dutch pipe shapes change and the more egg shaped bowl appears, often with attractive designs. Some were smoked with thin metal lids on them which often accounts for why the rims are sooty black looking.

These Dutch pipe date from the c.1800 to c.1920 period. There are some attractive them pipes with coats of arms, scenes from life and military events.

Fish Pipes

One of my favorite designs which depicts a fish made by the Southern Family of Broseley in the 19th Century but also still made today at the Museum there.

There are so many variations of fish pipes you could make a collection just out of them! Some show just the fish, others look mre like sea monsters with fish scales. Some have cherubs riding on them too.

Flowers and Plants

Floral design depicting a tulip and with coloured glazes. Made by the factory of L.Fiolet of St Omer in France. Lots of botanical theme pipes exist and there are some amazing coloured examples. They came into fashion in the c.1840's and popular from then on. There are some early Dutch pipes with flower designs and pipes with makers marks in flower design but these are not to be confused with the main 19th century variations.

All the coloured pipes which usual originate from France or Germany were hand painted so all though they were mass produced items the colours add a nice crafted touch and as the pipe was smoked the clay turned brown which can make the colours stand out more.

Pipes by John Pollock & Co of Manchester, England.

This world famous company was founded in 1879 and was making them for 111 years until 1990 for collectors and smokers. Originals of these designs can be dug up from old bottle dumps or found in cellars and attics the world over. Sometimes it is hard to tell an original from a modern one, however, they are all made from the original moulds.Just a few are shown in the image here, there were lots more and they often come up for sale.

French Figurals

These amazing moulded French figural pipes were produced in huge numbers from the 1840's right up until the 1920's. Artists were employed to make masters from which three or four piece metal moulds were made. Then production of literally thousands of them was carried out in factories that employed hundreds of staff. These pipes are found all over the world and although not one-off carved pieces (like Meerschaum pipes) are very attractive to collectors. The use of coloured clays, amber wash, and hand painted glazes does make each one slightly different.

The firms of Gambier of Paris and Fiolet of St.Omer in France appear to be the most common but there were other major names all making exotic looking clays as well as the simple plain styles that were wanted by smokers. In the group shown here characters such as Druids, Jupiter and Jacob are shown. Military Generals, Turks and the artist Rubens.

Dantan by Gambier

Dantan was a famous French sculpture working for the firm of Gambier in Paris in the mid 19th century. He had the right idea and created a pipe with his own head on it, thus preserving his reputation for decades to come. Dantan had a good sense of humour as well as being a master pipe designer - he created many of the humerous designs that made Gambier famous. The firm of Gambier were awarded gold medals at exhibitions for their pipes.

The Duchess of Devon by Charles Crop

Charles Crop (& Sons) was a famous London firm who produced many elaborate well made pipes from the 1840's until 1924. They designed large numbers of very realistic looking portrait pipes as well as animals, bird claws and large display pieces. Often the designs have registration numbers on them and some were copied by other makers. This marvellous pipe is thought to depict the 18th Century Duchess of Devon, Georgiana Cavendish with her very large fashionable hat as painted by Gainsborough. Peter Hammond, a clay pipe collector with much knowledge, has done very detailed studies of Crop pipes.

Jacob Pipes

There are over 200 variations of the Jacob pipe copied by makers all over Europe. Although the original design was created as early as the 1840 period the majority commonly found come from the 1880-1930 period and were most often made by big firms such as Gambier of Paris. Gambier were the largest and most famous of pipe makers and flourished in the 1850-1920 period with outlets in other Countries. They were winning gold medals for pipes in the mid 19th century and producing over 26 million pipes of varied design a year.

Other French firms such as Fiolet of St Omer and Noel Brothers had their versions of Jacob as well as producers in Germany, Belgium, Holland and England; some still being made in the 1950's. Moulds do exist and are occasionally used by collectors to make small batches today. I have created my own version for world famous collections which is the largest known bringing the Jacob pipe into the 21st century! Usually the head band reads "I am the Real Jacob" in French and my limited edition version reads "I am the Dawnmist Jacob".

Sizes of this pipe range from miniatures of about 2cm high to about 8cm high. A number on the side will be the mould/model number which is one of the Jacob range from a maker. These pipes usually have a socket with a cork fitted wood stem and horn or bakelite (early plastic) mouth piece. Sometimes a decorative cord was attached to help hold the pipe segments together. Jacobs were usually press moulded in 3 part metal moulds and the seams neatly trimmed. The colours were painted on by hand before the pipes were fired.

They were one of the most popular figural clay pipes ever designed and were highly favoured by smokers not only because of the lavish design but because as the clay was smoked it absorbed the juices and the bowl "seasoned" to a rich brown, thus, coloured glazes (because they were opaque) would stand out brightly.

More Figural Pipes

French, Dutch and English figural pipes made between about 1860 and 1925. Animals, Birds, Fish, Famous people and various creatures.

My 2016 Exhibition

From January to March 2016 I was invited to do an exhibition of some of my collection at Exeter's Royal Albert Memorial Museum here in Devon. The exhibition went very well and I was also invited to do a radio interview for BBC Radio Devon as well as a TV feature for BBC Spotlight.

A Few Books about Clay Pipes...

There seems to be several types of book on the subject - older 1970's books which introduce the topic as a hobby or as part of bottle collecting. These are simple but a great start. Then there are archaeological reports which can be very detailed and heavy going to absorb though very informative. Other books which cover makers marks. Small published papers which can be found sometimes printed within large archaeologcial reports or in newsletters. Also there are a few good books on French pipes and Dutch pipes (often written in those languages). I will not cover them all here, just a few I like.

CD ROM Clay Pipe Picture Library

Originally published by Dawnmist Studio. The CD contains thousands of images gathered over 25 years and put into catagories for easier searching. There is no text information but with so many images it gives a good indication of the styles and themes a collector can expect to find globally and helps archaeologists to find more complete examples.

Clay Tobacco Pipes by Eric G. Ayto. Shire Album 37.

ISBN 0-7478-0248-3 (2002)

The Shire Album series of books are usually stocked by most well known book sellers and this one (first printed 1979) has now reached its third edition released in 2002 and is well worth having even if you have the original one. You can get copies of this easily through any online book seller or you can also buy it online at: www.shirebooks.co.uk

Eric manufactured clay pipes as a craft potter since 1972 and some of his pipes are featured on my CD ROM under the "recently made pipes" section. This book is an ideal companion for anyone interested in the subject including children. It has lots of pictures and some diagrams.

A3 size with 32 pages

CONTENTS: Introduction, Origin and Development, Pipemakers, Pipemaking, European pipes and pipemakers, Dating pipes, Collecting pipes, Further reading, The Internet, Places to visit

The Dynamics of Regionalism and Trade: Yorkshire Clay Tobacco Pipes c.1600-1800 by S.D. White 2004

British Archaeological Report Series 374 - The Archaeology of the Clay Tobacco Pipe XVIII

This BAR volume is a staggering one and a half inches thick and very heavy. It is the most detailed work ever done on any area of pre-1800 pipes in England and uses the most up to date methods of analysis used today. This research is the PhD of Susie White and is of very high standard containing 283 figures and 89 tables of pipe material; also plates, diagrams, charts and maps. A very valuable study work that is certain to be a cornerstone of publications to come.

A4 size with 567 pages

BASIC CONTENTS: Regionalism and Trade, Existing Evidence for the Production of Clay Tobacco Pipes in Yorkshire, Methodology, Summary of Data Collected, Clay Sources and Kilns Sites, Development of the Bowl Form in Yorkshire, Finishing Techniques and Stem Bore Analysis, Development and Range of Marks used by Yorkshire Makers, The Distribution of Yorkshire Clay Tobacco Pipes, Imported Products recorded in Yorkshire, Discussion of Findings and Proposals for Future Research, Appendices: List of Yorkshire Makers, Transcriptions of Selected Wills, Inventories and Other Documents relating to Yorkshire pipe makers, Collection Summaries, Bibliography

La Pipe En Terre by Maurice RAPHAEL,

ISBN 2-909132-00-5 (1991)

This has to be the most comprehensive book on French Clay Pipes ever done and is essential to anyone needing to know about this important part of the industry. The french pipe makers were some of the most innovative and successful of all, creating the very best quality fancy pipes that could be imagined. They were world leaders and their work influenced the English market greatly in the late 19th and early 20th century especially.

This book, by the well known French researcher Maurice, covers in superb detail all of the great French firms and explores the lives of the founders and their creations with a fondness that matches no other book I have yet seen. It's pages are packed with historical pictures, diagrams of the factories, maker's marks and patent pipe inventions, copies from catalogues and poetry on the subject.

Approx A4 size with 285 pages

NOTE: This book is completely in French but the information is so well presented it is fairly easy to follow even if you do not have a good command of this language.

CONTENTS: (given here in English), Introduction, The Clay Pipe, Manufacture, Marketting, Historical, Dating Methods and Identification, Poetry about Pipes and, Tobacco, Various Labels and Catalogues, Patents, Terminology, Acknowledgements and Bibliography

The Intriguing Design of Tobacco Pipes by Benedict Goes (1993)

ISBN 90-70849=19=4

This is a beautifully presented book and an ideal companion to anyone interested in smoking collectibles. It contains large colour plates on practically every page with text that explores each theme nicely. The world of clay pipes is well represented in a number of forms ranging from the simple long-stemmed pipes to the French figural works of art. Other important European types of pipe are also covered including Africa and China. More information from: info@pijpenkabinet.nl

22 x 26cm size with 79 pages

CONTENTS: Introduction, Collecting Pipes, The Prehistory of Smoking, The Inherent Possibilities of Pipe Clay, The Long-stemmed Pipe, a Dutch Trademark, Tradition in the Nineteenth Century, France, The New Trend-setter, The Reflection of French Culture in Pipes, The Meuse Region and Westerwald area; Differing approaches England's Isolated Position, Beyond the Smoke..., Designers and Copycats, Porcelain, a Luxury Medium, Terra Incognita, The Delicate Elangance of the Levant, Touring Africa, From the Ivory Coast to Burma, Smoking à la Chinoise