Preben Holm Fancy 100 XL Smooth Freehand Sitter Estate Briar Pipe, Danish Estates

Description

Though he would tragically pass away at the age of 42, Preben Holm was one of the pioneering figures in the ‘Danish design’ movement in 20th century pipe-making – a movement that still dominates the high-grade pipe scene. By hand-shaping his pipes on a belt sander, Holm was able to make the most of the patterns of grain hidden within briar, creating spectacular works of pipe art that looked just as good as they smoked. Owing to Holm’s untimely passing, his pipes are even more highly sought after than they were during his lifetime.

One of the names originally associated with the Scandinavian freehand movement was the “fancy,” or the “Danish fancy.” This term was largely used to denote pipes that we today would simply call “freehands,” not unlike the Nording Freehand lines that dominate the genre today, though not exclusively. Additionally, the word “fancy” did not first arise from the Danish language but was a borrowing from English, particularly as a descriptor of something “modern.” Early catalogs from workshops like WO Larsen, for example, separated their most unconventional shapes from their regular (though still very “Danish”) shapes by referring to the former as “Fancy.” The notion of the Danish Fancy evolved over time, becoming more synonymous with the contemporary “freehand,” though as can be seen on Preben Holm’s Fancy series, there was still room for boundary-breaking within its parlance during his time. This extra large sitter, for example, showcases an impressive “twisted” motif in its shaping, to an extent that—as far as I’ve encountered—was rivaled only by the Hallmark, Nobel Prize, and Private connection series.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and minor handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 7″ / 177.8mm

Bowl Width: 0.89 / 22.60mm

Bowl Depth: 1.75″ / 44.45mm

Weight: 2.8oz / 80g