Drum-Form Opium Measure

This unusual, barrel-form object was originally one of the many accessories that comprised an opium smoker's kit. Formed of brass with a copper lining, the small tool is known by collectors as a "tonneau-dose" and was used along with a needle to shape a wad of opium paste before placing it onto a pipe bowl. Shaped like a Chinese stone drum, the petite object lives on as a curious keepsake from a bygone era.