Opium Artifacts in the Palouse
Photos and Writing by Jackson Gardner
At the University of Idaho in Moscow lies the Asian American Comparative Collection (AACC), home to one of the world’s most comprehensive collection of opium smoking artifacts. The nucleus of the artifacts are all indigenous to the inland northwest, often brought into the region from early twentieth century Asian immigrants. From there, the AACC started to receive much larger donations of opium artifacts from all over the world. In my photos below, I have captured Opium smoking tools that were presumably used by upper-class society.
A remarkable note that I learned from Dr. Priscilla Wegars — the director of the AACC — was, among upper-class opium smokers, the presentation of their tools was just as important as smoking the opium itself. Their owners often treated these pipes like treasures, and it is to no surprise as they boast an exotic beauty.
Usually an opium pipe will have a saddle for the bowl, but this pipe has an ornament on the end to hold the bowl.
Chinese influence on opium smoking utensils resulted in designs such as this dragon.
A bamboo opium pipe with a fist on the end to hold the bowl.
Arial shot of the bowls in the hot rack. All three bowls are no longer functionable due to the erosion on the center hole.
This bowl is in relatively good condition. Bowls in good condition are hard to come across because of their fragile nature.
Bowls sitting in a a hot rack. Hot racks were a popular accesory to an opium smoking ensamble.
Many opium artifacts have Buddhist themes such as this bowl, which depicts Buddha.
An unusually slender opium pipe. The metalwork in the center of the pipe, what is known as the “saddle,” is particularly well crafted which indicates it most likely had a wealthy owner.
This is the longest opium pipe of the collection at 58 cm.
The metalwok on this pipe has swastikas, a traditional Buddhist symbol.