Glass bongs are more than the iconic devices through which you smoke. They’re intricately crafted works of art, available in a variety of colors, styles, and textures. Some are simple and resemble exaggerated pipes or hookahs while others are complex, worthy of sitting on podiums in museums. Produced by professional artisans for the purpose of smoking, bongs are elegant yet useful. You can stash them out of sight or proudly display them, even as centerpieces, when you’re not using them. Recycler Bongs
Modern bongs evolved from hookahs, which are said to have originated sometime in the 16th century. As tobacco use spread, so too did hookahs. Like their ancestor, bongs spread as the use of herbs spread. Some might even argue that bongs surpassed their predecessors as a variety of herbs and tobacco conquered the globe.
Of all the ways to smoke—from paper to pipes to one-hitters—bongs remain the most iconic way to smoke a variety of naturally occurring products. As imagery, they’re as ubiquitous as any soft drink or comic book logo. From movies to cartoons, from books to video games, it’s hard to escape encountering glass bongs in this day and age.
The History of Bongs
While modern bongs are derived from hookahs, evidence has emerged that they earlier versions used by people in the ancient world. Archaeologists in Russia uncovered little known ancestors to bongs that were in use more than 2,400 years ago. It’s likely that these ancient bongs, used by certain members of the Scythian culture, were employed as ceremonial or ritualistic devices by shamans or tribal leaders.
Although the word “bong” is derived from a Thai word, “bong” or “baung,” evidence of these smoking vessels have been found in 16th China, India, Vietnam, Laos, and several countries in Africa. They don’t seem to originate at any single point. In fact, you could say that they’re as much a part of our shared cultural history as coin bags, shoes, or bow and arrows.