Travelling smoking set, Europe, 1815-1820

Smoking set for travelling, comprising one meerschaum pipe bowl, three stem sections, seven mouthpieces, one tinder pouch with steel attached, one ivory tamper in the form of a finger, one long slender bristle brush for cleaning the pipe, in veneered wooden travelling box, pipe Austrian(?), pipe mouth English silver, key missing from box, European, 1815-1820

The set contains everything for a travelling gentleman’s smoking needs in the early 1800s. This includes a large meerschaum pipe bowl (meerschaum is a clay like material), a choice of three stems and seven mouthpieces, one tinder pouch with steel flint attached (to light the pipe), one ivory tamper in the shape of a finger (to pack tobacco into the pipe bowl), and one long slender bristle brush for cleaning the pipe.

The gentleman smoker came to the fore during the 1800s. In a time before the mass production of cheap cigarettes, pipe smoking was the preferred method and among wealthier gentlemen it became a serious hobby. Aside from the numerous varieties and mixtures of tobacco and the many pipe related accessories, there was a large range of books and periodicals devoted to the habit.