Anthropomorphic tobacco pipe "dak" · Sudan, Shilluk · ID: 3025043
British Private Collection
Description
bamboo shaft, elaborate terracotta pipes head in the shape of an animal with big open snout, decorated with delicate incised ornaments, fixed by animal skin and twisted cord material, small bowl-shaped gourd with mouth piece on top;
the Shilluk use two types of “dak”, the “dangduong” and the “dangthen”. The former is kept within the family enclosure, while the latter is more commonly used in public. But the two types are not structurally different. The skin made mouth piece is fitted around a gourd plant, filled with a filtering material called “anywön”. It is made from a plant known as “thitho”, treated in a special way that makes the fibres very soft. It is changed when it becomes thick and bitter with nicotine.
The object Anthropomorphic tobacco pipe “dak” with the object ID 3025043 was part of the auction 77th tribal art auction on June 28, 2014, lot number 118 at that time and is currently available for EUR 1,400 in Open sale.
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Comparing literature
Mildner-Spindler, Roma, Rund um Tabakspfeifen, Berlin 1992, p. 60, ill. 37