Material Type

Artifact

Other Name

MEERSCHAUM BOWL

Date

1844

Materials

WOOD, BAKELITE, LEAD, SILVER

No. Pieces

2

Description

1. STUMMEL: 18CM (L) X 10.5CM (H) X 5.8CM (D)(BOWL) WOOD STUMMEL WITH CERAMIC MEERSCHAUM FINISH. ELBOW OF STUMMEL IS BULBOUS AND WIDER THAN BOWL AND SHANK. MEERSCHAUM FINISH IS DARK BROWN SPECKLING ON BEIGE. DARK BROWN BANDS CIRCLE ENDS OF BOWL AND SHANK. SHINY GLOSS FINISH COVERS ALL. END OF SHANK HAS SILVER PLATED LEAD MORTISE. MORTISE HAS CIRCULAR BASE WITH COILED ROPE PATTERN RAISED ALONG EDGE WITH SCALLOPED EDGING. MORTISE CYLINDER IS NARROW AT BASE AND WIDEN TOWARDS MOUTH. MOUTH HAS RAISED SCROLL WORK AROUND ITS EDGE. A BENT RING IS FASTENED TO SIDE OF MORTISE AND BASE. AT END OF BOWL IS SILVER PLATED LEAD COVER. COVER BASE HAS HOLE IN MIDDLE SAME SIZE AS BOWL'S TOBACCO HOLE. HAS IDENTICAL EDGING AS MORTISE COVER. HINGED TO CIRCULAR BASE IS ORNATE COVER WITH A JEWELED CROWN ENGRAVED ON TOP. SIDE OF COVER IS OPEN HOLE SCROLL WORK. ON BOWL COVER AND MORTISE ARE FOUR SILVER MARKS - A LEOPARDS'S HEAD, A LION PASSANT, THE QUEEN'S PROFILE AND A STYLIZED LETTER "I". ALSO HAS "JT" STAMPED NEAR MARKS WHICH IS ARTISAN'S MARK. CERAMIC COATING HAS TWO SMALL CHIPS AT EDGE OF BOWL AND SILVER COVER. 2. STEM: 48CM (L) X 1.5CM (D) BARK COVERED WOOD PIPE WITH BLACK BAKELITE MOUTH PIECE. ONE END IS TAPERED IN LIKE A BLUNT CONE WHICH FITS INTO MORTISE. THIS END HAS MASKING TAPE COVERING IT. SHAFT OF STEM IS WOOD COVERED WITH ROUGH AND DARK BARK. OPPOSITE END HAS ANTLER FERRULE. BLACK BAKELITE MOUTH PIECE IS PLACED IN FERRULE. MOUTH PIECE IS BROKEN SHOWING CLOTH FILTER INSIDE OF STEM. BARK COVERING IS CRACKED AND SPLITTING.

Subjects

PERSONAL GEAR

Historical Association

LEISURE

History

SILVER MARKS ON PIPE REVEAL THAT IT WAS MADE IN LONDON IN 1844 BY AN ARTISAN WHOSE MARK WAS "JT". ATTEMPTS TO IDENTIFY "JT" HAVE NOT SUCCEEDED. PIPE IS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN OWNED BY PETER "CHRISTIAKOFF" VERIGIN, THE SECOND SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE DOUKHOBOR COMMUNITY IN CANADA. PETER CHRISTIAKOFF WAS THE SON OF PETER VERIGIN CALLED THE LORDLY, THE ORIGINAL SPIRITUAL LEADER OF THE DOUKHOBOR COMMUNITY THAT FLED RUSSIA IN 1895 TO COME TO CANADA. THE PIPE WAS FOUND IN A C.P.R. STATION IN WINNIPEG. IT IS ALLEGED TO HAVE BEEN LEFT BY PETER CHRISTIAKOFF VERIGIN AS HE TRAVELLED WEST TO TAKE OVER THE SPIRITUAL LEADERSHIP UPON HIS FATHER'S DEATH. THE PIECE WAS THEN GIVEN TO THE SUPERINTENDENT OF THE C.P.R., MR. FEN GWYNN, IN THE 50'S, ACCORDING TO THE DONOR. MR. GWYNN THEN GAVE THE PIPE TO THE KENNEDYS' IN THE 60'S. FOR AND INDEPTH STUDY OF THE HISTORY OF THE DOUKHOBORS COMMUNITY SEE "THE COMMUNITY DOUKHOBOR: A PEOPLE IN TRANSITION" BY JOHN W. FRIESEN AND MICHAEL M. VERIGIN.

Catalogue Number

P19950012000

Acquisition Date

1995-05

Collection

Museum

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