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CUSTOM MADE OPIUM PIPE WITH ANIMA PAW FINIAL
Origin: China or Southeast Asia
Date: Late 19th–early 20th century
Materials: Metal, ceramic, animal paw (likely feline)
Dimensions:
Description:
Unusual custom-made opium pipe combining traditional materials with a personalizing feature. The long cylindrical stem, crafted from metal and engraved with geometric and foliate motifs, is fitted with a white ceramic bowl for vaporizing prepared opium. The mouthpiece appears to be carved from pale green jade.
Most notably, the opposite end of the stem is capped with a preserved animal paw—likely feline—complete with fur and claws intact. This distinctive finial transforms the piece into a unique personal statement, possibly signifying the owner’s status, identity, or totemic beliefs. The fusion of refined materials with an organic ornamentation marks this pipe as a rare example of individualized opium-smoking paraphernalia.
Cultural Context:
In the opium-smoking traditions of China and Southeast Asia, pipes could range from utilitarian bamboo examples to elaborately decorated personal possessions. The use of jade in the mouthpiece reflects the material’s long-standing association with purity, health, and nobility, while the animal paw suggests either a symbolic talisman or an expression of eccentricity and power. Such a piece may have been commissioned by an elite smoker wishing to stand out in a competitive social milieu.
Origin: China or Southeast Asia
Date: Late 19th–early 20th century
Materials: Metal, ceramic, animal paw (likely feline)
Dimensions:
Description:
Unusual custom-made opium pipe combining traditional materials with a personalizing feature. The long cylindrical stem, crafted from metal and engraved with geometric and foliate motifs, is fitted with a white ceramic bowl for vaporizing prepared opium. The mouthpiece appears to be carved from pale green jade.
Most notably, the opposite end of the stem is capped with a preserved animal paw—likely feline—complete with fur and claws intact. This distinctive finial transforms the piece into a unique personal statement, possibly signifying the owner’s status, identity, or totemic beliefs. The fusion of refined materials with an organic ornamentation marks this pipe as a rare example of individualized opium-smoking paraphernalia.
Cultural Context:
In the opium-smoking traditions of China and Southeast Asia, pipes could range from utilitarian bamboo examples to elaborately decorated personal possessions. The use of jade in the mouthpiece reflects the material’s long-standing association with purity, health, and nobility, while the animal paw suggests either a symbolic talisman or an expression of eccentricity and power. Such a piece may have been commissioned by an elite smoker wishing to stand out in a competitive social milieu.
