Featured Fat man smoking pipe

I love this little watercolor that I picked up in a lot a while back. It is so jolly and funny. I think those long pipes were popular in Northern Europe in the 19th and early 20th century maybe. I thought I had pinned it down a little better in regards to a probable region of origin but I’ve forgotten what I figured out now. Does anyone have a feeling for where they think it’s from? The initial signature is very nice and handsome but isn’t ideal for research. I think I’m going to keep this one. It brings me a bit of joy on each and every view. I recall the back of the frame lacking any clues. The piece is only around 3”x6” or so.

 

germany



https://webmuseo.com/ws/musee-unterlinden/app/collection/record/1089?lang=fr

 

I think its fun and original and looks like an Oscar Wilde character,
but could be a german (military), reminiscent of the colonies ?
( possibly english caricature for me ! )

checking this this may help if you're curious

 

I wonder if that's meant for a bird, or one of those water whistles?

 

the Chinese have had songbirds for decades
( and whistles don't need cages )

 

A German word pun imo. The German word for pipe is Pfeife, and the German word pfeifen means to whistle.
So the man has his Pfeife and the bird pfeift.

The man is wearing old fashioned smoking attire btw, so smoke doesn't get in his clothing or hair.
No German military uniform, nothing Chinese, and no German colony in China.

 

A little caricature. He's wearing a smoking cap, robe and slippers. Wonder what significance the 3 on the calendar has. 20th century, I'd think but... This is why photographs including frames are helpful. For dating.

Debora

 

The bowl of the pipe looks like a little face, maybe smoking itself, & appears to have the numeral 5 on it.

 

got that wrong then !

must stop inspired replies before breakfast


still love the picture

 

I rather like it a lot. I think it tells a very definite story and has a message with all these little numbers and placed items… Maybe a private joke (but yes,you probably had to be there… )

 

Glad I’m not alone in enjoying this charming scene! I think this style of pipe was smoked in France and other Northern European countries as well as being used in Germany. If the wordplay points to Germany that is very helpful and though.

 

I always associated hose German pipes with Central Europe, more specifically Germany and Austria.
I have never seen them here in the Netherlands, only as souvenirs from abroad. We had Gouda clay pipes, and of course the usual meerschaum pipes etc.
I can't imagine those German pipes being used in other Northern European countries (the UK, Ireland, the Scandis etc), but have no proof.

Dutch man (from Friesland) smoking a Gouda pipe: