Possibly Louis Fiolet Co., St. Omer, France, United State, Antebellum, Slavery
Description
Stem fragment of a kaolin (white clay) tobacco pipe. Molded decoration of lines, bands, and beads (similar but not identical to those on Anthr1983_002_0072). These pipes were made with stems from a few inches to a foot or more in length, and tradition has it that the end would be broken off when shared so that the smoker has a fresh bit (or perhaps more likely, the prevalence of broken pipestems simply reflects their fragility). In the context here, these pipestem fragments may have been curated for use as beads. Archaeologists use the bore diameter of collections of pipestems to calculate the age of the collection, but the small collection size and likelihood of curation in a slavery context makes that less useful here.
21mm Long, 6 X 8mm In Slightly Oval Cross Section Ceramic Kaolin Pipe Clay Equipment For Personal Use: Smoking And Tobacco Use Beads (Pierced Objects)
Circa 1800 1850
