Viprati 2 Clover Smooth Panel Shank Dublin Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Much like in Denmark or Japan, many of the great names in Italian artisan pipe-making got their start working for other greats in their famous workshops. This was the case for artisans such as Giancarlo Guidi, Luigi Radice, Sergio Ascorti, and Maurizio Tombari. Luigi Viprati, on the other hand, is one of the few self-taught Italian pipe-makers of the 20th century to have reached the same heights as such contemporaries. First picking up the craft in 1972, Viprati would ultimately become one of the defining names in Italian pipes, which he remains to this day.

While much of the modern Italian artisan scene emerged as a response to the Danish post-war pipe boom, Luigi Viprati has always struck me as being closer to the English in style—specifically, to Charatan and its own freehand line. As seen in another recent listing, Viprati has even gone so far as to create his own rendition of the iconic Charatan “cup and saucer,” originally created by Barry Jones, but the similarities don’t stop there. Take this Dublin: its broad stature, its beautiful straight grain, and its distinctive, paneled shank (not to mention the length of its saddle stem, which is just begging for a Double Comfort ledge). Were it not for the briar stem inlays and Viprati logo, one might presume it had come out of the Mansell Street factory. A lovely piece however you look at it, though.

The condition is good. Some handling marks and wear to the rim.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.92 / 23.36mm

Bowl Depth: 1.93″ / 49.02mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g