Pipe Whimsey

Unknown

1810 · Prattware (glazed earthenware) with underglaze blue, enamel, and luster decoration · European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Pipe whimseys, also called puzzle pipes, were made by Staffordshire potters in the eighteenth and nineteenth centuries. They were said to have been made at the end of the day, with leftover pieces of clay. Though tobacco could be smoked from the pipes, they were primarily intended as decorative pieces of “whimsy,” objects made to stir the imagination and stimulate the mind. This example has the date 1809 and the initials D.G., which may refer either to the pipe’s maker or recipient.

Artist

Unknown

Date

1810

Medium

Prattware (glazed earthenware) with underglaze blue, enamel, and luster decoration

Culture

British, Staffordshire

Department

European Sculpture and Decorative Arts

Credit line

Partial and Promised Gift of Frances F. Bretter and Leo D. Bretter, in celebration of the Museum's 150th Anniversary, 2020