My girlfriend was in London last week and collected these 18th century clay tobacco pipe shards on the banks of the Thames, they have an incredibly smooth, timeworn surface...they feel like butta. There's something experimetal about this piece, I like wearing it.
I've been doing some research on these pipes and apparently they were disposable, similar to cigarettes, which is why there are so many of them washing up. The London Clay Pipe Studies site has a map and info on the pipe makers that existed in Westminster during that time, and Dawn Mist offers just about everything you could want to know on clay pipe archaeology.
The friend who gave me these pipe shards has commissioned two similar necklaces, one for her and one for her friend in London. She wants the end caps to be made from bullet casings, so she's going to find some that fit. Should be interesting!
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