Andrey Kharitonov Rusticated Bent Egg Estate Briar Pipe, Russian Estates [SOLD]

Description

Muscovite artisan Andrey Kharitonov has, from his 20th birthday onward, never been without a pipe. Born in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s first pipe was a gift, carved from cherry wood by his brother; years later, after happening upon a store in his home city that sold Italian Manno briar, he decided that he would try carving his own pipes. Over the next years he would experiment with shapes and styles, gradually building up a cult following on Russian- and English- speaking pipe forums. Though he credits Victor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov as sources of inspiration, Kharitonov’s pipes are – in the best of ways – immediately recognizable as his own.

We’ve had a couple of Andrey Kharitonov pipes come through the “pipeline” recently. I remember, when I was researching his background, that one word stuck out to me: texture. There really is something interesting in how he uses texture, in ways seen in very few other pipe-makers (Victor Yashtylov being one exception). This one almost reminds me of Peterson’s recent Emerald series, due to its scooped rustication, but in this instance, there is an even greater architectural aesthetic at work. The pipe is also very distinct in its use of color. Many of Kharitonov’s pipes use an orthodox, purplish brown stain – the kind you wouldn’t think would look good without seeing it. And when you do see it, it looks great. It’s funny how things on paper can seem unthinkable, yet when they’re realized, you wonder why it is that people weren’t doing them all along.

The condition is great, too. There’s some inner rim darkening, but the pipe does not look to have been smoked much at all.

 

Details:

Length: 5″ / 127.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.78 / 19.81mm

Bowl Depth: 1.57″ / 39.87mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 54g