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Smokiana: Historical; Ethnographical cover

Smokiana: Historical; Ethnographical

Chapter 14: EAST.
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About This Book

A richly illustrated survey documents the history, botany, and ethnography of tobacco and related smoking plants alongside a catalog of pipes and smoking apparatus from around the world. It describes botanical varieties of Nicotiana, regional smoking customs, and the materials and forms of pipes — clay, briar, soapstone, gourd, hookah and opium apparatus — and reproduces historic woodcuts and maker stamps. Organized as descriptive entries with images and captions, the work compares local manufacturing traditions, ceremonial uses, and changing fashions in smoking paraphernalia across Europe, Asia, Africa, the Americas, and the Pacific.

AFRICA

EAST.

DAHOMEY is associated in our minds with the most ghastly & cruel scenes of useless blood-shed. & yet “TOBACCO” is smoked there and gradually is the Symbol of Peace asserting its gentle influence & Dahomey is now more humane than when Capt. Burton first visited it. To him we are indebted for the specimens opposite. The long peculiarly formed bowl like a “nepenthes” or Pitcher Plant is of Iron & has prongs or spurs of Iron. Length of stem, 33 in. The Hanging tufts are of Red Indian character. The upper pipe is carved wood & the double one, Iron.