This month a very unusual clay pipe, found on a field near Gouda. The funnel shaped bowl is without a heel. This so called 'round bottom pipe' is special because of the rare decoration in the form of six flat planes on the bowl. 

The bowl's rim has been trimmed. The maker's mark on the bottom is 'crowned six', a mark that has been used in Gouda between 1704 and 1839 by various pipe makers. This pipe was made by Cornelis Dircksz. Poorens, who was active and carried the mark between 1704 and 1758. This pipe can be dated between 1710 and 1730.

Literature :

Merken en Merkenrecht van de pijpmakers in Gouda, D.H. Duco, Pijpenkabinet, ISBN 90-70849-21-6

On first sight this clay pipe looks like a 'regular', often found oval shaped pipe with a characteristic 'crowned fish' with 4 waves below. In addition this version has leaves and the text 'GOUDA'. The uniqueness is found in the digits '2' and '4' which are found on the left and right sides of the crown and together form the pipemakersmark '24 crowned'. On the rightside of the bowl this mark is placed as well. On both sides of the heel we find the coat of arms of the city Gouda, with the letter 'S' added, of the word 'slegte', meaning 'common'. This pipe was made between 1740 and 1770 by the Gouda pipemaker Huijbert Lorjier (active between 1731 and 1766) or his widow (1766-1772). This pipe was found in Reeuwijk.

Literature:

D.H. Duco, Merken en merkenrecht van de pijpenmakers in Gouda. Amsterdam 2003.

Recently, an article was published in the 2016 PKN Yearbook, about a very special claypipe depicting King William III (1650-1702). In this article a few other, similar pipes with his image are being described, amongst which a handmodelled version found in the dutch city of Edam.

Recently, in a field just outside Gouda, an almost identical pipe was found an brought to our attention. The bowl is more complete then the one found in Edam, but unfortunately highly degraded by the acid soil. 

This new pipe is a very welcome find as it shows the manual, deeply engraved lines of William's hair. Like the one found in Edam, this one does neither have a makers mark nor an eyelet at the bottom of the bowl.

De complete pipe which is described in the Yearbook has a height of 91 mm. The Edam pipe measures 52 mm and this recently found specimen has a height of 49 mm. Height has been measured from the corner of the heel/stem to the middle of the bowl's rim. For reference, a standard clay tobaccopipe in this period would have measured approximately 38 mm

This unique find dates to approximately 1689-1710.

Literatuur: Bert van der Lingen en Ron de Haan, ‘Een vorstelijke vondst: Koning-stadhouder Willem III van Oranje’, in: Jaarboek 2016 van de PKN ‘Stichting Onderzoek Historische Tabakspijpen’ p.9-14. 

This month, it has been exactly 445 year ago that the Dutch calvinist, 'privateer' army called 'De Watergeuzen' (English ; 'Sea Beggars') captured the city of Den Briel, and freed it from Spanish occupation. In order to commemorate this major Dutch historic event, in 1872 this copper pipe mould was made celebration the liberation of Den Briel. Unfortunately only the 'left' part of the mould was kept.

On April 1st, 1572, the 'Sea Beggars' stormed Den Briel (now 'Brielle') and drove out the occupying Spanish garrison. The city was claimed on behalf of Prince William of Orange, the voivode in exile of Holland, Sealand and Utrecht. Den Briel became the first 'liberated' city. Alva, the Spanish commander and regent of the Netherlands, underestimated the significance of Brielle's liberation. His reign soon lead to an increase in dutch resistance. The 'liberation' of Den Briel set in motion a chain of events that lead to more and more towns being liberated in the following years, and eventually to the establishment of the 'Republic of the 7 united Netherlands'.

The liberation of Den Briel is one of the most well known events of the 80 year war in the Netherlands. 

In 1872, various pipe manufacturers from Gouda designed pipes to commemorate this event. This mould is from an unfortunately unknown manufacturer. The pipe has a 'horn' shape with a slightly curved stem. On the left side we see how the 'Sea Beggars' are storming the city gate. Below the image it says ; 'BRIELLE 1 APRIL 1572'. On the mould's edges, small oak leaves are engraved.

As various pipes have been found with this image, we know that the other side of the mould will have shown the war fleet of the Sea Beggars and the text ; 300 JARIG BESTAAN VAN NEERLANDS VRIJHEID ('300 year dutch freedom')

Mould : collection Bert van der Lingen. 

Pipe bowl and other 'Brielle' pipes at :  https://www.claypipes.nl/19e-eeuw/hoorn-modellen/ 

This month, an extensively smoked pipe made in the first quarter of the 18th century. On the left side of the bowl, Bacchus is depicted, the Roman god of wine, joy and intoxication. Bacchus is sitting on a wine barrel and raises a wineglass with his righthand.

On the right side of the bowl, we can see the Roman goddess of fortune and personification of luck, Fortuna. She is standing on a globe. Both seams of the mould show double rows of dots.

The pipe was found in the city of Delft, but it is unknown where it has been produced. Estimated between 1700-1730, collection Steven van Haaren. 

This month, an originally short, so called 'groffe' ('plain') claypipe with the initials MVA above an elegant carriage or coach on four wheels. Above the front wheels curled ornaments are sculpted. On the mould joint on the bowl, a comb was used to 'smoothen' the mould seems. It is unclear where this pipe has been manufactured and by whom. In the 1990's, two variations of this pipe were found in the city of Gorinchem an therefore classified as a local product. It was made between 1760 and 1800. Collection of Steven van Haaren.

Literature: J. van der Meulen, J.P. Brinkerink en P. von Hout, Tabakspijpennijverheid in Gorinchem. PKN, Leiden, 1992, p.115, nrs. 10 en 11. 

In 1798, a company was established in Grünstadt (Germany) which would later become the Bordollo factory. Initially, it produced mainly pottery and porcelain products. In 1838 it started with the production of pipes but it took until the 1880's before the Bordollo pipes were introduced on larger scale to the Netherlands. The first pipes Bordollo made were most likely classic moulded types. Witness of that is a stem fragment found in Saarbrücken with the text 'Ecume de Grünstadt SF'. Only when the so called 'slip cast' pipe was developed by Bordollo, they started their export to the Netherlands. Various Dutch companies imported their pipes and from 1898 the main importer became the Gouda based company Van der Want en Barras (later 'Hollandia'). The first catalogues of Hollandia (1900-1905) showed many Bordollo manufacured pipes. 

Soon,  Holandia started making their own slip casted pipes and these 'copies' of the Bordollo models were one of the initiatives that lead to an increase in the popularity and production of the slip casted pipe by multiple Dutch pipe factories. After the first world war, the import of Bordollo pipes basically came to a halt.

This pipe of the month is also shown in Bordollo's catalogue from 1908 (page 25, model 97) and seems to represent a Roman soldier.

Read more :

-Ruud Stam, 2015: The export of clay pipes to the Netherlands from the German firms Gebrüder Bordollo and Jacobi, Adler & Co. Journal of the Académie Internationale de la Pipe 8, p. 89-101.

- Fred Tijmstra, 1986. Bordollo-pijpen uit Grünstadt. PKN 9 (33), p. 13-23.

This month a remarkable funnel shaped pipe without a heel, decorated with a face with cap or turban, moustache and goatee looking at the smoker. 

These type of decorations were amongst the first popular decorations in the 17th century : witness the many variations of ‘Jonas’ of ‘Jonah’ pipes from that period. During the 18th century, a variation developed which we now call ‘hussar’ or ‘turk’. The bowl became larger, the face with moustache and goatee or beard pointed at the smoker remained but a turban or cap and earrings were added. Most of these pipes came from Gouda, Alpen and Gorinchem.

The displayed pipe, which bears no makers marks, fits that category but has several principal differences compared to the ones from the mentioned production centres. The bowl is tall and narrow (5.2 cm x 2 cm), and the engraving is remarkably simple. It shows a striking simplicity and lack of refinement when looking at eyes, cheeks, ears and turban. On the other hand, the smooth surfaces of the pipe have been extremely cared for, after taking the pipe from the mould, utmost attention has been placed to accurately glazing it. This we see on a regular basis with many German cup- and funnel shaped pipes from the 18th century. On both sides of the lower bowl, a flower with stem and leaves is engraved.

This pipe was found near the city of The Hague and probably originates from Germany, dated around 1750-1800.

- Collection EK

De pijp links is een product uit Gouda, de pijp geheel rechts is een typerend product voor Gorinchem. Wat duidelijk opvalt is het verschil in afmetingen en vooral kwaliteit van de gravering. Op de foto niet zo goed zichtbaar ; de middelste pijp is met uiterste precisie en toewijding geglaasd !

The pipe on the left was made in Gouda, the one on the right in Gorinchem. The difference in size and quality of the engraving is clearly visible. Not so visible on the image but clearly on the bowl is the ultra high level of finishing of our featured pipe !

This month a find in dutch soil of a pipe of English origin. This pipe is probably made around the middle of the 18th century in England. On both sides of the characteristic 'pointy' heel, we can see the letters I and I, horizontally placed.  

During the period when this pipe was made, various pipemakers were active in mainly London using these initials. Most probably the maker of this pipe will be John Jarman who was active between 1732 and 1749 (1).

Also remarkable is the 'straight' trim or cut of the bowls rim. Where Dutch pipes were generally 'smoothed' or 'bottered' to round the bowls rim, English pipes often show a straight cut without any additional 'bowl rounding' effort.

On the bowl, towards the smoker, we see a feathered crown with three large feathers. This depicts the 'Prince of Wales Feathers', which represent the Welsh crest : three white ostrich feathers in a golden crown. On both sides of the crown we see the texts 'Ich Dien'. Several stories surround the origin of the crest. The most referable will be the one that describes how the crown and feathers were captured from Prince John I of Bohemia, by Edward III after the battle of Crecy (1346). This also explains the german language in the crest, which have spiked quite some controversy over time.  

Technically the naming 'feathers of the Prince of Wales' is not entirely correct (2) as at the moment that Edward III captured the crown and crest, he was 'Duke of Cornwall', and not 'Prince of Wales' as this title is not automatically passed on by death of birth, but first passed to 'the crown', which then appoints the new 'Prince' .

References :

(1) David Higgins personal comment 2017

(2) Clay Pipes bearing the Prince of Wales feathers, Richatd Le Cheminant, 1981, BAR pgs 92-101

- Collection EK

The Metal Cross 1830-1831 is a Dutch medal which was awarded in 1831 to those who had participated in the so called ‘Ten Days Campaign’, an attempt by the Dutch king Willem I to suppress the Belgian revolution by force of arms. 

It was decided on September 12th, 1831 by Royal Decree that whomever had participated in the military operations against the Belgians in 1830 and 1831 would receive a remembrance in the form of a Metal Cross. These bronze crosses were made from weapons captured in the Battle of Hasselt on August 8th, 1831. 

It is a four-armed cross with a crowned W in a garland. The reverse side has the same garland but with the years 1830 and 1831 mentioned.  In the arms of the cross the text TROUW AAN KONING EN VADERLAND (Loyalty to King and Fatherland).

In the second half of the nineteenth century several Gouda pipe makers produced pipes to commemorate the Ten Days Campaign. Multiple models and variations are known and most of these pipes seems to have been made around 1856 and 1881 on the occasion of the 25th and 50th anniversaries.

The pipe of this month is a heelless model with lobes, made by an unknown Gouda pipemaker. The bowl has a medal with a crowned W on the left side and a Metal Cross with 1830 and 1831 on the right. On a ribbon below the rim of the bowl we read ‘TROUW AAN KONING EN VADERLAND’.

In the Journal of the Academie Internationale de la Pipe, volume 9, 2016, a detailed article by Bert van der Lingen address more detail and different models that were made with the same theme.

References :

(1) Clay tobacco pipes and songs related to the Metal Cross of 1831 - Bert van der Lingen, JAIP vol 9, 2016

- Collection EK

During the First World War (1914-1918) The Netherlands were neutral. However, the war did have it's impact on our country. A large number of Dutch men was called under arms during these years, and several hundreds of thousands Belgium people found refuge in the Netherlands.

One of these refugees was Raijmond Comhaire from the city of Spa, who stayed in a refugee camp in Zeist, and moved to Elisabethdorp in the town of Amersfoort later.

This handmade pipe of ordinary, red baked clay carries the name 'Comhaire', de name 'Zeist' and the year '1918'. The clay is probably the same as is commonly used in the brick industry for making house and road bricks. This pipe can only have been made by Comhaire during his stay in the camp Zeist.

More about this pipe in the article 'Raijmond Theodore Comhaire, a Belgian soldier in Zeist, 1918' (Bert van der Lingen) in the soon to be published Yearbook 2017 by the Stichting Onderzoek Historische Tabakspijpen ('Society for Research of Historic Tobaccopipes'). 

This month a clay pipe with a decoration of a King, standing with a globe and sword above a 'fleur de lis'.

At the top of the bowl, we can barely read 3 K V S. On the right side of the bowl we see the Crest of the city of Delft. The stem is decorated with flowers. This clay pipe was made in Gouda, between approx. 1700 and 1730. Collection Ruud Stam