An Elderly Woman by Tanneveau or Gasc and Cailleau
This month we highlight a remarkable pipe which is made during the last decennia of the 19th century, possibly the first few years of the 20th century, in the Northern part France, by an unknown pipe maker. The 19th century pipe industry in France developed rapidly via various large factories that made the most beautiful and innovative designs. Prime examples are the products of Duméril and Fiolet in Saint Omer, (Dutel-)Gisclon in Lille and Montereau and offcourse Gambier in Givet. These factories all had wide assortment that were regularly updated and modified to follow fashion and actuality. Together, these factories employed several thousands (!) of employees during this period. Their products were very well crafted and finished and generally showed remarkably creative designs. During the second part of the 19th century and possibly the beginning of the 20th century, especially in North part of France, several lesser known, smaller factories and workshops were active. These are mainly known by their names on the few remaining products that they made. They must have been fairly small and were likely active during a short period of time. Surviving clay pipes with their names are scarce, but also have specific, own designs that make them stand out from the ‘classic’ French figural pipes. An article about what is known about these pipes and their makers was published in the PKN yearbook 2015. This month we highlight a clay pipe that clearly stands out by it’s caricatured design; it is shaped in the form of the head and face of an older woman with a compressed mouth and fairly sullen look. She is wearing a simple hat and the pointy nose and the protruding chin provide a very specific, almost funny expression. The pipe is not marked but shows very close resemblance to other models that were made by the firm Gasc and Cailleau from Berliamont, and the firm Tanneveau from Saint-Omer. Information about both firms is currently limited to their name and the region in which they were established. Both are thought to have been producing pipes between approximately 1870 and 1890.
