Anthropomorphic tobacco pipe "dak"
Click here to view a larger version of the imageLot: 118
77th tribal art auctionAnthropomorphic tobacco pipe "dak"
Sudan, Shilluk
Provenance | Size | Starting price / estimated price |
---|---|---|
collected in Egypt by a serviceman in WW II British Private Collection |
L: 27.2 inch |
1400 EUR
plus 27 % commission, VAT, transport and insurance |
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.