Pipa; Laos, XV - XVII centuries.

Pipa; Laos, XV - XVII centuries.
Bronze.
Preserves green and brown patina.
Measurements: 39 cm (height).
Smoking pipe made entirely of bronze, which has a green and brown patina finish, generated by the passage of time. The receptacle is profusely decorated with chiseled motifs with lotus petals and pearl friezes.
Tobacco spread among the upper classes as a medicine for a wide range of ailments: asthma, throat ailments and the evil eye. As it became a fashion, a whole series of objects linked to the smoking habit were created, which were profusely ornamented, becoming, in some cases, true works of art.