Malagasy (Madagascar) carved pipe

**(38 - darker, figure at front, face at rear) (39 - lighter, plain at rear, fin with 3 holes at front) This intriguing object is the bowl and stem of a wooden tobacco pipe. It was made on the island of Madagascar in the early years of the nineteenth century. It is a fine example of local carving. On the bowl is a human head which faces towards the smoker. And on the stem is the figure of a man reading a book on a raised desk. The figure looks European and might be a missionary, a teacher or a soldier. The top of the pipe bowl and the end of the stem have metal inserts. Most of the objects in the Anderson collection are from Wigtownshire. Foreign items, like this pipe from Madagascar, were probably obtained from other collectors.