Meerschaum Pipe

Meerschaum – also known as Sepiolite- is a soft white mineral that is found in deposits around the Mediterranean, and sometimes floating on the Black Sea. It is often used to make smoking pipes (like the one shown above) since its soft texture allows for intricate carving of elaborate designs. As the pipe is used the mineral changes colour, usually turning yellowish, which helps to determine its age and usage.

This Meerschaum pipe was donated by Glen McKenize, a distant relative of the original owner, James Roderick McKenzie. James R. McKenize was born in 1817 on the Isle of Skye, Scotland, and eventually made his way to Canada,  settling in Dunvegan at 21-9 Kenyon. During his life, he was the postmaster of Skye, taught at a local  Dunvegan school house, was a long-time Deacon at Kenyon Presbyterian Church, and  a clerk in the divisional court. James R. McKenize was also a grandnephew of Flora Macdonald, a woman famous for her heroic and romantic devotion to Bonnie Prince Charlie and his Jacobite cause.

 It is possible to assume from its yellowing, that this pipe lived a long and pleasant life with its owner. It is now safely stored in the Museum’s temperature- regulated storage facility, ready to be showcased in future exhibits.