Pipe Kiln

Periodca. 1740 - 1760

MediumIron

DimensionsOverall Width: 5.25 in. (13.3 cm)
Diameter (each ring): 7.75 in. (19.7 cm)

ClassificationsTobacciana

Credit LineMuseum Purchase, 1968

Object number2002.525

DescriptionA pipe kiln or drying rack, consisting of a pair of 1 1/2" wide iron straps formed into rings, then joined together with a flat 2" wide iron strap, affixed to each rin along the bottom. The strap holds rings side by side with 4" space between each ring. Eye hooks attached to the tops of both rings, through which the ends of a curved bail style handle are placed and curved closed. The handle swings freely.
Curatorial RemarksWhite clay pipes were used by a majority of colonial American men, and some women. In taverns, research indicates that customers could purchase a pre-loaded pipe, smoke it, then return the pipe to the tavernkeeper. The pipe was then cleaned and hung over the fire in a rack or kiln such as this one to dry out the bowl and stem, then refilled for the next customer. It was long believed that bits of the "used" stems were deliberately broken off before smoking, but this is now considered untrue. The belief seems to have been based upon the many fragments of stems in archaeological digs in Europe and colonial America. The clay was brittle and easily broken.

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