Prospective purchasers are advised that several co… Read more

MEERSCHAUM PIPES Meerschaum, a mineral mined almost entirely in Turkey was sent to Vienna and towns in the Austro-Hungarian empire to be carved and polished into pipes for the Western and American markets. The first pipes were produced in the eighteenth century but the origins of the industry are still debated and the industry did not produce many pipes until the 1830's and then steadliy grew in volume as the century progressed. In the heyday of production at the end of the nineteenth Century, huge numbers of pipes were made and marketed in a wide range of novelty styles. The incredible quality and complexity of the carving displayed in the finer Meerschaums make it the pinnacle of pipes for the aspiring collector.

A LARGE AUSTRIAN MEERSCHAUM PIPE

CIRCA 1875

Details

A LARGE AUSTRIAN MEERSCHAUM PIPE
CIRCA 1875
Carved as the head of a lady carrying a porte-monnaie and wrist corsage and original carved ivory and horn stem decorated with the head of a leopard with ruby eyes, and with gilt-metal mounts and amber mouthpiece
28 in. (71 cm.) long overall, head 7½ in. (19 cm.) high

Literature

Ben Rapaport, Collecting Antique Meerschaum Pipes, Schiffer 1999, P.74

Special notice

Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

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