A Very Rare Antique Victorian Tom Thumb Novelty Figural Pipe Bowl
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A Very Rare Antique Victorian Tom Thumb Novelty Figural Pipe Bowl. Carved Into The Figural Shape Of Tom Thumb Stood On A Thumb. He Even Has Little Glass Eyes! A Rare Survivor! It Is Carved To The Side With ‘Tom Pouce’, which is French for ‘Tom Thumb’.
Tom Thumb is a character of English folklore. The History of Tom Thumb was published in 1621 and was the first fairy tale printed in English. Tom is no bigger than his father’s thumb, and his adventures include being swallowed by a cow, tangling with giants, and becoming a favourite of King Arthur. The earliest allusions to Tom occur in various 16th-century works such as Reginald Scot’s Discovery of Witchcraft (1584), where Tom is cited as one of the supernatural folk employed by servant maids to frighten children. Tattershall in Lincolnshire, England, reputedly has the home and grave of Tom Thumb.
Condition is good, commensurate with age and use. There has been a small repair to the rim of the back pipe rim. Structurally sound. Very good otherwise.
Measures 8.5cm x 5cm x 5cm
Weighs 68.42 grams