Maruyama Collection Yatate Kiseru Hall
(Portable brush and ink cases and metal tobacco pipe)

The Maruyama collection is a large collection of metal tobacco pipes('kiseru') and portable brush and ink cases('yatate') by Seijiro Maruyama(1900-1982) who spent an entire lifetime collecting these articles from the Edo to Meiji period.
There are 55 tobacco cases, 115 pipes, and 269 portable brush and ink cases.
Seijiro Maruyama(1900-1982) was born in Tsubame, Niigata. He grew up helping with his family's tobacco pipe business and moved to Tokyo at age 20 to begin sales and marketing of his products.
This was the beginning of the company, Windmill corporation, which now produces cigarette lighters.
Starting with these metal tipped pipes, Japan's tobacco smoking products developed from pipes and cigarette cases to lighters. Seijiro himself was interested in engraving and used his hobby to improve the appearance and draw attraction to his products. He was particularly interested and confident in the connection between tobacco smoking products and the fine skills of the metalsmith.(according to the chairman of Windmill corporation)

" Most beautifully engraved products are from the beginning of the meiji period. This is because many swordsmiths who lost their jobs at this time due to the gradual westernisation of Japan(people no longer carried swords) wanted to try their skills at engraving pipes and other fine metal crafts."

" Engravings created by excellent Japanese metalsmiths, have been made real by not only samurai families, but regular townsfolk from the late Edo period to the early Meiji period. Whatever their rank or occupation, elaborate and intricately designed pipes were used by all. Particularly the lesser known engravers from common families were known for their skillful production of high quality original tobacco pipes and these craftsmen greatly contributed to the enjoyment of a wealthy society at the time" (Seijiro Maruyama)

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