There are two cultural forms of ‘true’ opium pipe, those instruments built expressly for the purpose of vaporizing just opium. The differences in overall design largely come down to what is used as a steady heat source – a vegetable oil lamp, or a piece of charcoal.

The interior walls of a bamboo tube absorb vapor as the pipe is used, and once a pipe is broken in, the opium-seasoned interior then serves to cool the smoke without reducing any of its effects or taste. A well-seasoned bamboo pipe was highly valued by smokers – second only to sugar cane in terms of smoking quality, but far more durable.

An opium pipe is a pipe designed for the evaporation and inhalation of opium. True opium pipes allow for the opiate to be vaporized while being heated over a special oil lamp known as an opium lamp .

This long bamboo pipe dates to the late 19th century and was originally used for smoking opium. Unlike a tobacco pipe, the opium pipe was designed especially to allow resinous opium to be vaporized, rather than burned.

This long bamboo pipe dates to the early 20th century and was originally used for smoking opium. Unlike a tobacco pipe, the opium pipe was designed especially to allow resinous opium to be vaporized, rather than burned. Consequently, opium pipes have a distinctive form, featuring a long pipe-stem with a mouthpiece at one end and a pipe bowl ...

Cultivated in southern China, Buddha belly bamboo is often formed into elongated pipes used for smoking tobacco or opium. The undulating form of this 19th-century bamboo specimen is made especially striking when held upright by a custom steel stand.

This long bamboo pipe dates to the early 20th century and was originally used for smoking opium. Unlike a tobacco pipe, the opium pipe was designed especially to allow resinous opium...

2018年6月8日 · As part of my collection I own four Chinese ‘root ball’ pipes. Whenever I see lists of types of pipes used by the Chinese, this type of pipe is never listed but I see them come up for sale fairly regularly. They consist of the root ball remaining on the bamboo and metal, normally brass, is folded over the root ball and fastened in place.

This elegant and well-proportioned opium pipe and opium bowl comprises a pipe made of a single piece of bamboo with an ivory mouthpiece and end-piece, silver mounts and an engraved silver saddle; and a moulded terracotta opium bowl with silver mounts.

A Chinese bamboo opium pipe with ivory end, mounted in white-metal and fitted with an yixing pottery bowl -- 19¼.in (49cm) long; and four further bamboo opium pipes with jadeite ends, fitted with yixing pottery bowls -- 16½.in (42cm) long max, (old wear).