Emiliano Sandblasted Billiard w/ Bamboo & Jupati Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

There are many nations in South America with vibrant pipe smoking scenes and, in recent years, these nations have produced a good number of artisan pipe makers of the highest caliber. Or, rather, it might be better to say that the internationalization of artisan pipes afforded by the internet has afforded these artisans the global recognition they rightly deserve. In any case, Brazil is among the most notable hubs for high-grade handmade pipes today, being home to Gustavo Cunha of marTelo pipes and Flavia Rodriguez, and having been the birthplace of Luiz Lavos. Of course, any mention of Brazilian pipes these days would be woefully incomplete without a mention of Emanuel de Queiroz Emiliano, better known in the pipe world as—simply—Emiliano.

Emiliano had always been a pipe smoker, but his exposure to the works of the aforementioned Cunha and Rodrigues planted the proverbial seed for Emiliano’s own career as an artisan pipe maker. He began carving pipes in his spare time and, soon enough, was in regular correspondence with figures such as Luiz Lavos, Angelo Fassi, and Angelo del Prete, aka Il Cerchio, who guided Emiliano in the early development of his craft. Emiliano would later travel to Italy to visit both Fassi and del Prete in their workshops, who generously spent time with the former helping him master the finer details of constructing a high-grade pipe. Emiliano’s own pipes are greatly inspired by Scandinavian pipe making, such as the works of Danish master Tom Eltang, and others in the global post-Scandinavian scene, such as Chris Asteriou. But there is also often something quite “Brazilian” in his work—something shared with Cunha, Rodrigues, and Lavos—which is often expressed through his approach to shaping, finishing, and his choice of accents.

The use of bamboo shank extensions first significantly took off in the years following the Second World War, as pipe makers made the most of the briar they had due to consequent shortages. These pipes often wore dark sandblast finishes, presumably another consequence of not being able to get enough good briar. But even as good briar began to flow back into the pipe making hubs of the 20th century, this combination persisted. Why? Again presumably, because it just looks so good. Yellow-gold varieties of bamboo in particular produce a wonderful contrast against both darker-finished briar and black ebonite. This pipe from Emanuel de Queiroz Emiliano is clearly not one that suffered from a lack of good briar (its perfect ring grain attests to this), but it nevertheless takes up that popular post-war combination—and, in fact, goes even further. Inlaid in the nodes of the bamboo one finds polished pearls of jupati seed, a material with a historic presence in Brazilian handicraft. Cultivated from the Amazonian raffia palm, these seeds are also distinguished by their black and golden coloring, which Emiliano has expertly used to further the two-tone motif already present in the pipe.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.72 / 18.28mm

Bowl Depth: 1.36″ / 34.54mm

Weight: 0.9oz / 26g