Large Dated 1782 Antique Meerschaum Hand Carved Pipe bowl with a beautiful image For Sale

Large Dated 1782 Antique Meerschaum Hand Carved Pipe bowlwith a beautiful image of a hunting dog

This artisan 18th Century pipe is an "Old World"magnificent representation of hand carved beauty. From Germany/Austria, theseornate Meerschaum (German for "sea foam") pipes often depictedhunting or animals. It was turn to a deep, rich dark amber color from smoking,as all good Meerschaums do. For a German/Austrian Meerschaum pipe this old, isin good condition. The mortise is accented with a fitting with a maker's mark.A true antiquity any serious pipe collector should have in his arsenal of rarepipes. Please see photos for condition and detail.

The most appreciated material for making pipes ismeerschaum, a soft white type of lightweight stone, found in Turkey. Thishighly porous material absorbs all the juices in the smoke and is easy tocarve. Long time use makes the pipe turn yellow to finally dark brown, whichoften is a great pleasure for the smoker. These characteristics make thatmeerschaum pipes are popular as an easy to handle, attractive and tastefulsmoking instrument.

Meerschaum was first used in the seventeenth century, butdid really become popular towards the end of the eighteenth century. Shapewisethe mid-European pipe type dominated, with the bagshape and the Hungarian pipesas the most common ones. Meerschaum pipes became the status for the bourgeoisiesmoker and the upper class in central Europe. The large bowls with their thickwalls were fitted with silver mountings, while a long stem provided acomfortable cool smoke.