Topic: 1. The Calabash Project
A peace pipe in Afrikaans is a vredespyp. Peace - vrede. Pipe - pyp. I was sent instructions and (2) gourds to make such a pipe. The owner did not want to part with his pipe, but sent along instructions and a brief history.
The stem functioned as well.. a stem, and a string ran through it. When smoked the string absorbs the tobacco oils and repels mosquitos when worn around the neck. Larger versions served the more important purpose, meetings.
The gourd I was sent had a nice round tobacco hole. I broke the stem trying to pull the pipe cleaner out which was supposed to make the draft hole as the clay interior dried. Unfortuneately the cotton of the pipe cleaner stuck to the clay and I couldn't get it out. When I used another gourd I cut off the side of the gourd which didn't yeild a nice round tobacco hole. But I got to say, I am looking forward to hiking, fishing, canoeing with this around my neck keeping me mosquito free!
I filled the inside of the mini-calabash with clay and then cleaned of the outside, added the Kokopelli with pipe decorative touch, the string, and filled it with tobacco. Viola; vredespyp!
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