It's our old friend Jean-Leon Gerome back with us today. This picture is also titled The Pipe Lighter and doesn't have any particular story, it's just a nice piece of Orientalism and a fine ass painting. I hope he didn't get his model to pose like that for too long, because it looks a little uncomfortable.The narghile (sheesha in Egypt) or waterpipe does take a bit of effort to get lit, but it's worth it. He he ... after all that nude puffing, here's one being smoked in a restaurant in Damascus. Apologies for the bad Hat Hair.
My mother said: "Is that opium?!"
No, it's strawberry-flavoured tobacco. Although it's still not very good for you, but I only smoke a water-pipe about once a year. I am still working on the Gandalf-style smoke rings.
Mmmmm ... sheeesha! Smoooth smoke. Mmmmm.
ReplyDelete(Now off to dip my emergency cigarette in honey and take a good long sniff...)
Real Travelers Wear Hats. (Also Arizonans, as a matter of survival. Fried brains are only funny in jokes.)
ReplyDeleteLooking at that painting once more reminds me that as far as physical beauty goes, I was born in the wrong time period.
I love your blog. Just quit smoking, again, though, so can't linger...
ReplyDeleteOops - didn't mean to distress all those ex-smokers out there! Sorry!
ReplyDeleteLooking at that painting once more reminds me that as far as physical beauty goes, I was born in the wrong time period.
Weren't we all, Susan? :-)
On the other hand, as far as contraception and the right to say No goes, this time period wins hands down...