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Would anyone have an idea where this was made and how old it might be? Would the decoration be Asian silver?
There is no signature or writing of any kind.
Thanks for any information.

In the first link below is an auction result for another pipe like yours, described as "Laotian Hmong". My guess would be that it and yours both were originally purchased either by a late 20th century visitor who went to Thailand or Laos before 1975, or a tourist embarking from Thailand to visit the Golden Triangle after that date. The second link shows a couple of pipes of similar metal construction that I believe are fairly contemporary products too.

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/42342681_antique-asian-laotian-hmong-tribe-silver-and-wood-opium

https://www.liveauctioneers.com/item/11706727_pair-chinese-silver-opium-dragon-and-phoenix-pipes

The Laotian Hmong historically cultivated opium as a folk remedy for aches and pains for many generations, with such use mainly being among the elderly. However, having spent over a decade working in and around Thailand and Laos before retiring, I believe I can safely say that virtually all of the pipes like yours that I've encountered heretofore were made for the tourist trade.

First of all, there's the metal damper, or bowl, which seems to me would be self-defeating in its main purpose of dampening or cooling down the evaporates that are produced when the bowl is held over an alcohol flame long enough for the globule of opium on its tiny mouth to burst into flame. Reason suggests to me that the metal damper would heat as fast or faster than the opium, producing a superheated gust that the wooden connector, a poor conductor of heat, would have little or no effect on, leading to a pipe stem too uncomfortably hot to handle and gases damaging to the lungs. Then there's the implied use of solder to manufacture such ornate bowls and pipes, portending a lead problem for the smoker and even disintegration of the pipe in the heat of the lamp. I would think that for a habitual user, the opium pipe with maximum utility would be prized over ornamentation of any kind. No opium smoker I can fathom should be leaning back on a hard reed mat with head resting on a porcelain pillow with any idea in his (or her) head of admiring the beauty of his pipe.

Be that as it may, collectors who gave up smoking anything years ago sometimes have the time and money to buy opium paraphernalia worth doting on and not puffing on. In that spirit I include a shot of what inspires my occasionally doting. A Burmese bamboo pipe and somewhat rare ceramic bowl that looks to be made in China. The dragon mouthpiece is a mid-80's add-on carved to order in Taiwan.

Best Regards,

Bill H.

Further to my initial comment, the hidden knife within this pipe probably represents the type of blade an opium cultivator would use in the field to score and scrape poppy pods that produce raw opium. The tools for scraping "dross" or charred opium residue from the bowl are seen at the far left and right of those in the middle of the top and lower left photos seen below.

See the link herein for views of other collectible opium tools, including some made of high quality silver. Asian silver typically is about 80-percent, though replicas such as your pipe often contain a much lower percentage of silver.

Another point I should have made is that your pipe basically begins with the configuration of a hashish pipe, then has the metal opium bowl stuck in an enlarged hole where a hash smoker would normally put a dab of the hemp resin for smoking. I believe such pipes are rather unconventional in the context of Southeast Asian opium culture.

Best regards,

Bill H.



URL Title :opium collectibles

Doting or smoking, you know your opium paraphernalia! Thanks for all the information.
I didn't think our pipe was antique.We were at the Golden Triangle as tourists, and my husband was there often during his working and military years. He used to buy things he liked but is not an expert. He thought the knife was used for "cutting the block". We also visited some of the Hmong Hill Tribes.
I'm posting pictures of another pipe my husband thinks he bought in Japan but is not sure. Maybe you may know something about it, though it is not signed and looks fairly ordinary. I'm going through boxes of stuff we acquired during our years in Asia and selling some. Thanks again, Bill H. Happy New Year.

I think Bill H. is spot on with his comments on this pipe.

Having visited the House of Opium Museum in the Golden Triangle, I don't recall seeing anything such as the pipe in the photos above among the many pipes in the museum collection.

Users of opium would be more interested in the usefulness of the pipe than its decorations, and the shortfalls in construction and materials Bill mentioned would detract from the purpose of its use.

It is not clear from the original poster's comments and photos whether the knife is a detachable part of the pipe shown in the photos or a separate object.

Assuming that the knife is a detachable part, the pipe could not be used with the knife section attached, so it would have been useful to see a photo of the pipe in smoking configuration (with the knife section next to it) in order to see how it would have been used without the knife section attached. It seems the shortened stem would then get quite hot.

If part of the design of the pipe, inclusion of the knife somewhat reminds me of some of the native American "peace pipes" which featured a tomahawk as part of the design. Perhaps this "pipe" had some ceremonial use?

At any rate, metalwork has long been a major cottage industry for the hilltribes of Southeast Asia, and the decorations on this pipe resemble motifs I have seen embroidered on many hilltribe souvenir items in Thailand.

Cheers
Gman

Re: Gman's reply,
I'm posting a few more pictures so you can have a better idea of how the knife is attached and where.
Thank you for your reply to my post.

Interesting,

The additional photos make it possible to see that there is a wooden core which acts both as an insulator for the tubing of the pipe, and as the scabbard for the blade.

Does it seem as though there is any smoke residue or resin build up in the bowl or the tubing of the pipe?

I was almost inclined to believe it may simply have been made as a letter opener, but the fact that the tubing seems well aligned, insulated, and designed to fit together within the insulator/scabbard, is interesting.

Whether it was made for smoking opium, hashish, or tobacco is the question, which may possibly be determined based on the presence of residue.

Of course, if it was a pipe used for smoking illicit drugs, someone may have carefully removed all traces of smoke residue prior to selling the object.

An interesting piece, thanks for posting and also for the follow-up photos.

Gman

Thanks for the follow-up reply, Gman.
Did you see the other opium pipe I posted? Would you have any ideas about its age or origin?

Hi, Margie. The second pipe is indeed Japanese. It's known as a kiseru pipe, and it's for smoking tobacco, not opium. Contemporary examples of this type of pipe are common.

Regarding the first pipe, I agree that it is most likely a souvenir and not a functional opium pipe. There are several reasons that I think this.

As Bill H mentioned, the damper/bowl is the first clue. The bowl on a functional opium pipe would most likely be made of clay. Second, the wooden core with metal tubing is suspect. Opium pipes meant for regular use were usually made of bamboo, because it absorbed the flavor of the opium readily and produced a superior smoke. Third, the removable section with the knife suggests that this isn't a pipe that was meant to be used. I've never seen an authentic opium pipe with this sort of construction. I doubt that the blade was meant to be used as an opium scythe, as they were usually curved to fit the shape of a poppy pod.

The construction doesn't look sturdy enough for regular use either. An opium pipe tends to take quite a beating when used regularly, and this pipe looks rather too elaborate to hold up to that sort of use.

Thanks for the very informative response. It's good to know what one has (and hasn't!).

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