Bellissima (L’Anatra) Gigante Smooth Oom Paul Estate Briar Pipe, Italian Estates

Description

Bellissima pipes were made by Italy’s L’Anatra workshop exclusively for American tobacconist The Tinder Box. L’Anatra itself is one of the high end Italian makes to have emerged as part of the “Pesaro School,” so named after a region which has produced a close network of artisans and workshops offering some of the finest pipes in Europe. These include L’Anatra, Mastro de Paja, Ser Jacopo, and Le Nuvole.

This particular Bellissima expresses the L’Anatra workshop’s flair for brash and even ostentatious designs that are nonetheless highly refined and elegant. It might be thought of as a distinctly Italian re-imagining of the traditional Oom Paul, with a strongly vertical profile, a steep curvature, and a tall, deep, almost floral, bowl. The straight grain on show is nothing less than remarkable, especially given how large (hence Gigante) the bowl is.

The condition is great. Some inner rim darkening, but nothing major at all.

 

Details:

Length: 5.8″ / 147.3mm

Bowl Width: 0.90 / 22.86mm

Bowl Depth: 2.25″ / 57.15mm

Weight: 2.3oz / 68g