These two clay pipe-bowls date from the 17th century. The one on the right was made in Leith by Thomas Banks, the son of William Banks, the first Scottish-based manufacturer of clay pipes. The maker of the left-hand pipe-bowl is unknown.
The pipe-bowl on the right bears the maker's initials 'T.B.' (for Thomas Banks). The left-hand pipe-bowl bears the maker's initials 'A.S.'.
William Banks was established in the Canongate by 1622. He, his sons, and a few other makers in Canongate and Leith supplied the needs of smokers in the Edinburgh area and beyond until the early 18th century.
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