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Tobacco pipe

Around 1900, kings, dignitaries and heads of families in the grasslands of Cameroon smoked tobacco. The more splendid the pipe appeared, the higher the rank of the smoker. This pipe from the kingdom of Bamum is particularly splendid. Its pipe is embroidered with colourful glass beads from Europe in a complex pattern. The clay bowl was probably made in the neighbouring kingdom of Bali. In 1908, King Njoya of Bamum (reigned approx. 1887 - 1933) presented it to the then German governor of Cameroon, Theodor Seitz (*1863 - †1949), as a birthday present for Emperor Wilhem II.

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Data Provider
Ethnologisches Museum Show original at data provider

Cataloguing data

Cultural attribution
Bamun (Bamum, Mamum, Bamoun, Mamoun, Mamoum)
Object type
Tobacco pipe
Dimensions
Height: 30 cm
Width: 14 cm
Depth: 11,5 cm
Length: 132 cm
Height: 115,5 cm
Width: 3 cm
Depth: 3 cm
Material/Technique
Wood, Pewter (?), Glass bead, Plant material , Sound
Current location
Ethnologisches Museum, Staatliche Museen zu Berlin
Inventory number
III C 33344

Provenance and sources

  • Production
    when
    19th century
    where
    Cameroon
    who
    Bamun (Bamum, Mamum, Bamoun, Mamoun, Mamoum)
  • Change of legal title:
    Acquisition
    Description
    Donation
  • Assignment to a curated holding:
    Africa

Information about the record

Legal status metadata
CC BY-SA 4.0 DEED
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