G72
r C lass XXIX
pipes are generally very long, and the bowl very small,it being usually made of nickel-copper (white metal;.The only contribution however is from Dr. Bemcastle,who sends an opium-pipe and appurteuances.
Ecypt.
The specimens in the Egyptian Court comprise twoNarguiles or water-pipes, one of zinc and one muchricher, mounted in silver; also several pipe-bowls ofAssouam and Assiout .
The examples consist of clay-pipes only from two ex-hibitors ; they are very numerous, and are exceedinglywell manufactured, but their forms are not such as tosustain that high reputation for graceful design whichthis country enjoys. This is to be attributed to the classof persons for whom the pipes are intended, and whoprefer a pipe-bowl moulded into the form of some gro-tesque head witli staring eyes, to the most elegant figureswhich could be devised. Very large quantities of thesepipes are exported to England, Germany, Italy , theUnited States , and other countries, aud are much esteemedon account of the very excellent quality of the earthen-ware of which they are formed. Their superior texture,it appears, is due in some measure to the clay of which jthey are chiefly composed, but principally to the great Iskill of the manufacturers in compounding it with other !materials. To give some idea of the extent of the pipe- jmanufacture at St. Omer , it may be stated that one of ;the exhibiting manufactories—that of Dumeril, Sons, !and Co. (p. 1181)—employs 450 workpeople, and pro-duces annually 100,000 gross, or nearly fifteen million :pipes, varying in price from Id. per dozen to 3d. each; ;and that the other—that of L. Fiolet (p. 1184)—em- Iploys 850 workpeople, and produces 200,000 gross, or 'nearly thirty million pipes, consuming 7,874 tons of clayin their manufacture.
Mr. J. B. Thomson (3, p. 1426) contributes a Narghilior Narguile, and a lady’s amber mouth-piece, and Mr. J. ;Hudson (10, p. 1427) several specimens of pipes, which jillustrate the luxurious habits of the Persians in smoking.
The contributions from this country consist of beauti-ful examples of carved meerschaum pipe-bowls, whichequal those of Austria , but are insignificant in point of inumber, having been contributed by only one exhibitor.
In the Turkish collection are numerous rich examplesof the Narguile, or water-pipe, in some cases composedof silver, and ornamented with precious stones; theflexible tube, or Marpitch used with the Narguile, isformed of a spiral wire covered with leather, over whichanother wire is coiled, so as to fall between the intersticesof the inner spiral. The Turks, in smoking the Nar-guile, inhale the fumes into the lungs, and never consumethe last portions of the tobacco, as the smoke becomestoo pungent. There are numerous examples of the long-pipe, or Kablioun, and the short-pipe, or Chiboque, withthe cherry-tree, jasmine, wild-plum, and ebony tubes;and likewise the crude gimblets, with which these tubes,five feet or more in length, are bored. In boring thetube, the Turk places it above the gimblet and thus getsquit of the chips; after boring the hole half way he meetsit from the other end of the stick. The wild cherry-tree, which is principally used, seldom occurs free fromdefects in the bark, to repair which, so that the repara-tion cannot be discovered, is the chief difficulty. Thereare examples of Lules or pipe-bowls used with thesetubes, they are composed of the red-clay of Nish, mixedwith the white-earth of Roustchouck. They are verygraceful in form, and are, in some cases, ornamentedwith gilding, but as the Turk prefers a fresh bowl eachtime, the plain ones are chiefly employed on the score ofeconomy. It is not unusual in Turkey to compute dis-
tances, or rather the duration of a journey, by the numberof pipes which might be smoked iu the time necessary toaccomplish it. The Imames or amber mouth-piecesexhibited in the Turkish section surpass those of anyother in splendour. One exhibitor sends four of choiceamber, which are worth together, 1,()U0/.; besides these,there are three groups from distinct exhibitors; in thecase of one ■was noticed an amber cigar-tube, which is oneof numerous instances of the innovations upon Turkish customs by the introduction of European ideas. If moreawards have not been made for Turkey than those citedin the list, it does not arise from want of meritoriousexamples, but simply because it was quite impossible toobtain a correct catalogue of exhibitors at the time theJury examined the articles contributed from this country.
Weeds for pipes, and two embroidered pipe-guards, arethe only contributions.
The only example in the Tuscan Section is a beauti-fully-carved ebony pipe-tube.
The pipes in the British side of the Exhibition areunimportant; two consist of steel, one is a contrivancefor condensing the fumes of the tobacco, and the othertwo are of meerschaum. No common clay-pipes areexhibited; their manufacture forms a distinct branch ofthe fictile-art, and is usually practised by small makers:the processes employed being very simple and performedwith wonderful celerity. The stem of the pipe is firstformed by rolling a piece of clay with the hand on a slabuntil it forms a cylinder slightly tapered; a hall of clay isthen attached to the thickest end and placed in a mouldformed of two halves hinged together, by merely closingthe mould the clay assumes the form of the outside ofthe bowl; a plunger corresponding to tlie intended cavityis then forced in, and the excess of clay which exudespared off. The pipe is completed by threading the stemon to a wire, which thus forms the bore, and after dryingit is baked in a furnace of peculiar construction.
The number of exhibitors of pipes and amber is forty-nine, of these there are :—
10 Holders of a Prize Medal.
18 Who obtained Honourable Mention.
21 Unrewarded.
49
The number of exhibitors from the various countriesis as follows:—
- - - 13
- - - 1
- 111
- - - 1
- - - 2
49
List of Awards.