Pipe

Tobacco pipe; dark brown in color; stem of pipe is bent upward at the mouth piece end; bone mouth piece protrudes from the center of the top end of pipe; series of rings are carved around rim; cylindrical stem; a piece of twisted fiber is wrapped four times around the neck of the pipe; Imbolo pattern is carved on body of stem-series of parallel lines, crisscrossing forming small diamond shapes; stem of pipe goes through bottom portion of bowl; bowl has an hourglass shape; top portion is larger and opened at top; bottom part has a flat base; bowl is ornamented with four rings around the center and two rows of a zigzag design at both the rim and base of bowl.

Tobacco was introduced to the west coast from America by the Portuguese in the 16th centruy. The Bushongo have a legend they learned to cultivate and smoke tobacco from their culture hero and king, Shamba Bolongongo, who had himself learned it's use from the Bapende in the west. Shamba Bolongongo is believed to have lived in the early 17th century.