Can anyone tell me what this is?

[Dinner]

Lot 2563 : A Chinese cloisonne opium pipe and box, 19th century
Auction Location: United Kingdom - 2006

Title:
A Chinese cloisonne opium pipe and box, 19th century

Description:
the pipe and cylindrical receptacle enamelled with bats amidst cloud scrolls and shou characters, all reserved on a turquoise ground -- the pipe (13 5/16in. (33.7cm.) high. (2)

Notes:
No VAT will be charged on the hammer price, but VAT at 17.5% will be added to the buyer's premium which is invoiced on a VAT inclusive basis.

http://www.invaluable.com/auction-lot/a-chinese-cloisonne-opium-pipe-and-box,-19th-cent-1-c-520dybwqpm

[Dinner]

200 Year Old Chinese Opium Pipe
Price: $195.00
Ad ID: 70826229
Visits: 97

Location: Edmonton
Date Listed: 27-Aug-08


Decorated in fine cloisonne. This piece is unique as it is stamped with the makers name " Fenshi '. This piece is sold and heavy and is complete. This was a pipe for only the upper class. Sorry yahoo mail no workie.

http://edmonton.kijiji.ca/c-buy-and-sell-art-collectibles-200-Year-Old-Chinese-Opium-Pipe-W0QQAdIdZ70826229

[Dinner]

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Cloisonn%C3%A9

Yours doesn't have any enamel work so it isn't cloisonne (a process of fixing enamel on metal work) but it's still a nice piece. It's probably worth less then $150.

[Lancer]

Is it full of opium? My guess is that would increase the value.

[Grandpa Troll]

Originally posted by Ming
Looks like an opium pipe

I just saw this and thats exactly what it is.

Many,many moons ago I had one just like it

Not now as stated but years ago. like 31 or so

[Nikolai]

Originally posted by Asher


Oh, Flanders...

It is in Norway.

[Zkribbler]

Originally posted by Whaleboy
What do you do with a waterpipe? How does it work? ...

People here say it's used for smoking opium, and while that's true, you can smoke anything in it that you can smoke using other means.
Its purpose is to cool and filter the smoke.

The water [or wine] compartment has two tubes coming into its top. One is connected to the part that holds the smoking substance. The other tube goes to the mouthpiece.

When the smoker sucks on the mouthpiece, the smoke is drawn down into the device, bubbled through the water [or wine] and then goes up to the mouthpiece.

BTW: It's also known as a hooka. (See the hooka-smoking caterpillar in Alice Through the Lookinglass.)

[Elok]

Originally posted by Zkribbler
BTW: It's also known as a hooka. (See the hooka-smoking caterpillar in Alice Through the Lookinglass.)

Actually, the Caterpillar is from Alice's Adventures in Wonderland.

[jah-boy]

Re: Can anyone tell me what this is?

Originally posted by Whaleboy
My grandmother gave it to me yesterday; it belonged to my great aunt who died two years ago. Apparently she picked it up during her travels in the Far East. She visited Singapore during the '30's and the region again the '50's though I'm not sure where she went that time.

I'm going to guess that it's some kind of smoking device but other than that, clueless. It looks and feels like silver.

Our aunt was a druggie my brother

[Tuberski]

Originally posted by Zkribbler


People here say it's used for smoking opium, and while that's true, you can smoke anything in it that you can smoke using other means.
Its purpose is to cool and filter the smoke.

The water [or wine] compartment has two tubes coming into its top. One is connected to the part that holds the smoking substance. The other tube goes to the mouthpiece.

When the smoker sucks on the mouthpiece, the smoke is drawn down into the device, bubbled through the water [or wine] and then goes up to the mouthpiece.

BTW: It's also known as a hooka. (See the hooka-smoking caterpillar in Alice Through the Lookinglass.)

Finally, someone else that remembers "Walk Like an Egyptian".



ACK!