Three tobacco pipes from the Asmat territory, on the southern coast of New Guinea.
Asmat pipes are always made of two parts: a thick bamboo cane as ‘mouthpiece’, which is always embellished with fine incised decoration in its middle, and a thinner cane of bamboo or reed lodged in the front of the thick cane. Rolled tobacco leaves are inserted into the latter cane and set fire to.
All of the present three pipes display a beautiful decoration and good, old usage patina. The smaller pipe shows an original repair to the mouthpiece (glued with tree resin). First half of the 20th century; L: 62.5 cm; 61 cm; 53.5 cm. (ME)

Provenance: Purchased by the consignor directly from the Papua of the Asmat sub-tribe of the Korowai. They still live in tree houses today. Austrian private collection.

Lit.: ‘Asmat. Leben mit den Ahnen’ by Konrad & Schneebaum, ill. p. 100, 101.

Additional picture:
The two pictures show how the Papua of the Korowai tribe, near the southern coast of New Guinea, smoke their pipes. The rolled tobacco leaves are stuffed into the thin bamboo cane in the front, and then set on fire. The section attached to the thicker, decorated ‘smoking pipe’ is closed with a hand. The man depicted in the photograph above sits on the platform of his traditional house, above the forest ground. The Korowai people still live in treehouses, which they build in the crown of high trees for security reasons.
Photos: private source