Bidspirit auction | A Chinese Paktong and Cloisonné

A Chinese Paktong and Cloisonné Enamel Water Pipe, Late Qing to Early Republic Period - A Chinese water pipe constructed from paktong, a white metal alloy, featuring a rectangular reservoir base with rounded ends. The base is decorated with cloisonné enamel featuring a turquoise ground and a pattern of scrolling branches with green leaves and white blossoms, possibly representing prunus. The pipe assembly includes a long, gently curved, detachable mouthpiece and stem, a small cylindrical tobacco bowl, and a slender, tapered cleaning tool. An integral tobacco storage compartment is fitted with a hinged lid. The interior of the hinged lid features an incised rectangular mark containing six characters in Chinese script arranged in two vertical columns. The top character in the left column is transcribed as 蘇 (Su), which may indicate a manufacturer or workshop located in Suzhou. The remaining characters are worn and not clearly legible.