The clay tobacco pipe collection from Hólar, Iceland. A case study

Abstract

This thesis presents a large-scale material study on the clay tobacco pipe collection from the bishop’s see at Hólar in the valley of Hjaltadalur, North Iceland. In the 17th and 18th century, smoking tobacco pipes is a common habit on the European mainland which was later extended to North America and other parts in the world. The remote location of Iceland and the trade monopoly imposed by the Danish crown from 1602 until 1874 were of a significant nature for the import of clay tobacco pipes and their use. Clay pipes are manufactured and present one of first mass-productions known. As there never was a production of clay pipes on this island itself, the pipes were usually imported from Dutch and English workshops. In the case of Iceland, Danish workshops are also of importance.The paper presents the state of research done in the field of clay tobacco pipe studies so far and explains the methods used for the analyses of the material. First results and following conclusions are drawn, including patterns of trade, illuminating the long time of use and other social aspects to better understand the culture of smoking tobacco clay pipes in Iceland.