Pijp van de Maand Januari 2026

A Pipe by the Dogon in Mali

The pipe of the month from Mali is an addition to an article written by Piet Smiesing in our Yearbook 2017, which describes the smoking culture of the local Dogon people.

Multiple finds from Mali (more specifically from Djenné), where pipe fragments and even complete pipes were found have been analyzed. Several of these have allowed us to accurately date the various pipes and models. Although the use of tobacco with the Dogon in Mali can be traced until the 17th century, the biggest concentrated use of pipes like these seems to be around 1800.

It is interesting to see that, although this type clearly shows specific shape characteristics, the format of the various pipes found can greatly vary. Examples of pipes with sizes varying from 5,5 cm to 13,5 cm are plenty.

This pipe of the month has a characteristic stretched oval form with a square and tapered stem. It is made of fine, granular red clay and the surface seems to have been carefully polished.

Very remarkable is the fact that both at the bowls rim, as the edges of the stem, the pipe has a metal finishing. This is the only known example of a pipe with such finishing which is made of a low quality silver. The thin metal has been carefully applied and has been folded around the rim. The finishing of the stem has been done with a standing seam and decorated with several geometrical shapes. Underneath the metal the clay has been decorated in a fashion that is characteristic for these type of pipes and an example can be found in the referenced article by Piet Smiesing.

The pipe can likely be dated between 1800 and 1840 and has a height of 8 cm.