Japanese Smoking Pipes— Fine Crafts of the Meiji and Taisho Eras

Osaka Municipal Museum of Art

Permanent event

Bag shops once commissioned artisans to create tobacco pouches, netsuke miniature carvings, and drawstring purses. The Meiji-era law prohibiting the ownership of swords made the wearing of pipes around the waist a popular trend. Although only for a short time, artisans competed with each other to make the best pipes until paper-rolled cigarettes became prevalent.