Ser Jacopo Melolontha R2 Rusticated Bent Apple Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous examples of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe-making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes that reflected their Renaissance sensibilities – even the figurehead of Ser Jacopo happens to be taken from a painting of a nobleman from centuries past – one that would soon become esteemed for creating unique and beautiful tobacco pipes that smoked just as well as they looked.

As I’ve said on previous listings, Ser Jacopo, in keeping with their Renaissance aesthetic, uses Latin, or Latin-derived, terms for series or specific parts of their pipes. What these words mean in English is less important than what they mean in Ser Jacopo’s design language. Melolontha, like Delecta or Pulchra, is Ser Jacopo’s designation for a type of sterling silver mount. In this case, it refers to faux spigots with a flared section at the end of the mount, creating a sense of seamlessness and symmetry. For this pipe, the silverwork is provides a beautiful contrast with the stony Italian rustication of the bowl.

The condition is excellent. Pre-smoked, but gently.

 

Details:

Length: 5.4″ / 137.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 21.08mm

Bowl Depth: 1.38″ / 35.05mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g