RARE FIND !! VINTAGE JAPANESE KISERU WITH ZUTZU ( SMOKING PIPE ) AND BAMBOO TOBACCO POUCH.

                         KISERU, JAPANESE SMOKING PIPE

SHIPPING R40.00

RARE, VINTAGE AND HARD TO FIND, A " KISERU " WHICH IS A TRADITIONAL JAPANESE SMOKING PIPE, A " KISERU ZUTSU " WHICH IS A TERM USED FOR THE CARRING CASE, AND A BAMBOO TOBACCO POUCH, HANDPAINTED WITH BAMBOO LEAVES, IT HAS A CARVED TOGGLE ATTATCHED TO CORD THAT TIGHTENS THE POUCH SHUT. THIS PIPE IS MADE WITH A BAMBOO CENTRE AND A METAL TOBACCO BOWL AND  METAL MOUTH PIECE, ONE ATTATCHED TO EACH END, BOTH OF WHICH HAVE A CARVED DECORATIVE DESIGN. LENGTH OF PIPE 20cm, LENGTH OF KISERU 20.5cm,LENGTH OF TOBACCO CASE 8cm, HEIGHT 5.5cm, WIDTH 3cm. THIS ITEM IS IN GREAT CONDITION.

A KISERU IS APPARENTLY CONSIDERED A " ONE HITTER ' PIPE AND IS CATEGORISED AS NOTHING MORE THAN ANOTHER POSSIBLE POT PIPE !! KISERU ZUTSU IS THE TERM USED FOR KISERU CARRING CASE. THESE CASES COME IN A FEW VARIETIES BUT MOST REVOLVED AROUND SOME TYPE OF TUBE ( ZUTZU MEANS TUBE ) SENRYU ZUTSU DID NOT ENCLOSE THE KISERU FULLY, BUT RATHER HELD THE KISERU TO THE CASE VIA SOME SORT OF RING AND GRAVITY. THE BOWL IS SLID INTO A NOTCH WHERE GRAVITY HOLDS IT IN PLACE AND THE STEM IS PASSED THROUGH EITHER A HOLE AT THE UPPER END OF THE CASE. THIS ZUTSU IS MADE FROM A SINGLE PIECE OF WOOD AND RETAINS ITS NATURAL SHAPE. THE BOWL IS PLACED INTO A GROOVE CUT INTO THE BASE OF THE STICK AND THE MOUTHPIECE IS PASSED THROUGH A HOLE IN THE UPPER PART OF THE STICK.

THIS WAY, THE WHOLE ASSEMBLY COULD BE HUNG FROM THE OBI ( KIMONO BELT ). A DECORATIVE POUCH IS USED TO HOLD THE KOIKI OR YAMABUKI WHICH IS THE TRADITIONAL JAPANESE TOBACCO SMOKED IN THESE PIPES. IT IS NOTHING LIKE WESTERN TOBACCO AND LITERALLY COMES IN LONG FINE HAIRS.  THE POUCH IS OFTEN ATTATCHED DIRECTLY TO THE KISERU ZUTSU. THE BOWL OF A KISERU WAS ONLY BIG ENOUGH TO HOLD TOBACCO FOR A PUFF OR TWO......UP DATE .... TO CHANGE THE NORMALLY ROUND BAMBOO SHAPE THE BAMBOO IS BOILED IN WATER UNTILL MALLEABLE THEN RESHAPED AND DRIED INTO THE DESIGN OF CHOICE.  

these white marks have been removed, just specks of white paper.