Object number
51/1165
Description
Pipe tongs were used by smokers to pick embers out of the fire with which to light the pipe. This pair is made of wrought iron. The jaws are flattened and shaped, and one handle ends with a whistle while the other ends with a tobacco stopper. They date from the eighteenth century, and the name 'Jacob' is inscribed on one of the handles.
Physical description
1 pair of pipe tongs: iron
Archival history
MERL 'Catalogue index' card – 'This is a pair of tongs used by smokers for picking embers out of the fire. It is made of iron, with one handle terminating in a whistle and the other in a tobacco stopper. The jars [jaws] are flattened and shaped, and the tongs are decorated with scrolls beneath the handle. The name Jacob is inscribed on the side of one of the handles. The tongs measure 18.5 inches in length. // See also 51/1186.', Victoria & Albert Museum No. 346, 1864.
Production date
1700-01-01 - 1799-12-31
Production period
Eighteenth century
Object name
Material
Technique
Associated subject