From the Sea Venture, 1609
Tobacco was first brought to Britain in 1573 by Sir Francis Drake and was still considered a luxury item in the early 17th century. The small bowl of this pipe reflects the high price of tobacco: as tobacco prices decreased, the size of pipe bowls increased.
The Sea Venture, the flagship of a fleet sailing from Plymouth to Jamestown Virginia with colonists and much-needed supplies, survived a hurricane only to wreck on Bermuda’s reefs in 1609. The castaway crew and colonists spent the ensuing 10 months at Bermuda building two vessels to resume their voyage. Their arrival would save Jamestown, and their accounts of the storm and Bermuda would capture England’s attention, leading to the Island’s permanent colonisation in 1612.