What is this object? Smoke pipe ?

Hello everybody,

I've got a strange object. It's about 10 cm, made of wood and it's hollow till the midle. There are also 2 holes on the side...

Is it a smoking device?

Is it tribal?

All info is welcome

Thanks

La Baey

 

A Whistle.........?

 

Cool shamanic thingie? No idea, but I could see a pipe or soul-catcher use.

 

A soul catcher........well OK......but not a NWC soul catcher...

 

WELCOME La Baey !!! ... Joy.

 

WELCOME iPacific !!! ... Joy.

 

so you can smoke 2 cigarettes at once?

 

Thanks for the comments.

I also thought about a flute or whistle but it's not hollow all the way. Just till the midle.

That soul catcher is indeed a possibility ...

 

Shamanic, possibly, soul catcher, no.
Do you have any idea of the kind of wood and the fibre used for the cord? Those are clues as to the region of origin.

As far as I am aware those are the only soul catchers.
Not every form of Shamanism works with the concept of soul loss, soul retrieval and soul catching. It is primarily a concept in Shamanism in the Americas.

 

I think we need more, and better, photos. The angle seems to be distorting the image. Where are the "two holes on the side"? That looks like a little stopper of some sort, attached to a string, but I can't tell where/what it fits.

 

Is that another hole circled in blue? Does the other head have one too? Is it the area outlined in green that is solid, only the decorated upper portion is hollow? Does the circled bead slide, act as a toggle? Do the side holes go all the way through to the hollow core? Or only drilled part way through? Imagining the solid lower part held in the hand, the whole thing well secured to the wrist with the cord & maybe items/material inserted in some or all of the various openings. Heads could have had feathers/corn husks/straw to suggest hair. Purpose? Not a clue. Maybe there were bells, maybe something burning, maybe...

 

It has a look which is like african smoking devices illustrated in books I have about smoking but the pictures are not in the totality and then more difficult to answer precisely, can you make a picture from upper side of this item eventually ?

 

Yes, a clear photo of the end with the cord and toggle/stopper would be helpful, and a clear idea of the extent of the various holes. Is there any evidence of burning in any of the holes?

 

Hi all,

Thanks for all your comments. I've got new pics. I didn't noticed the little holes on their heads. They are indeed there. @Bronwen : the green outlined area is solid as you said.
@2manybooks : inside it looks black, might be from fire....

 

the patina on the handle looks genuine.....from lots of use..
i still don't see a pipe of any kind...

 

Looks like something could be placed in the open top, and you'd hold it and have the cord around your wrist.

La Baey, I see you are from Belgium. There is a chance this could be from Congo. @kristiaan does this look familiar to you?

 

I am wondering if this might be a handle for something (now missing) that would fit into the top socket, and be secured by a pin that went through the cross-wise hole. The socket may have been made using a hot poker, which would leave the burn marks. The 2 objects threaded onto the cord look like seeds/nuts of some sort. If they could be identified it might be a clue to origin. It does look African.

 

Following up on @Any Jewelry's suggestion that it might be from Congo - it might be a handle for a piece of Mangbetu knife currency:

https://www.africadirect.com/mangbe...asc-wood-handle-congo-african-art-107143.html
"Double edged and hooked blades such as this were carried by chiefs and social elites as indicators of their rank and prestige. They were given as gifts to visiting dignitaries and foreigners to mark visits or trade agreements. An early drawing by Schweinfurth dating to June, 1870 shows King Munsa holding a similar knife as a badge of office."

https://www.hamillgallery.com/CURRENCY/MANGBETUCURRENCY/Mangbetu30.html

 

Looking at the entire item shows that it's clearly a handle, not a pipe or similar smoking use.

 

Hi,

Again thanks for the many replies!

A knife handle does seems right.

I found these pics on the web.