Viprati 4 Clover Smooth 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.

Most of Luigi Viprati’s pipes are graded using the stamp of a four leaf clover, or quadrifoglio, with grades ranging from one quadrifoglio to five quadrifogli. This particular Viprati is a very impressive four quadrifogli grade piece; a large, wide, flaring Dublin reminiscent of the high-grades from Charatan’s freehand workshop. And, just like those freehands, this one features a bowl lined with straight grain and a rim covered in bird’s-eye patterns.

The condition is good. Some rim darkening and some dark spots on the bowl exterior, the latter likely being handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 6″ / 152.4mm

Bowl Width: 1.05 / 26.67mm

Bowl Depth: 2.00″ / 50.80mm

Weight: 2.5oz / 72g