1986 Eyup Sabri Wolf #67 Block Meerschaum Pipe, Unsmoked [SOLD OUT]

Description

In the contemporary world of pipes, it is not often that master meerschaum carvers receive the fame and acclaim of master briar carvers, which is a shame. There are exceptions, however, Eyup Sabri being one of them. Rightfully considered to have been one of the best meerschaum carvers to have ever lived, Sabri died in 2005, leaving behind a legacy in the collective memory of collectors and admirers, and in the work of his many students in Turkey. If the smoking pipe is to be considered a ‘functional work of art,’ it is no less because of people like Sabri than it is because of family Ivarsson, Eltang, or Tokutomi.

This Sabri is from 1986, and remains unsmoked and in the same pristine state as when it was first carved and sold. It is a figural piece, as is common with meerschaum pipes, but one whose principal figure, the wolf, has been carved with a level of care and detail that is decidedly uncommon today. The reason for this being, that such a carving takes an amount of time and skill not afforded to most carvers, talented as many may be. The wolf’s mane billows behind its face, revealing the bowl of the pipe, before continuing down to the underside of the pipe, where it transforms into a string of flower petals. The stem is something to behold as well – not acrylic, but hand carved buffalo horn. It is, simply, an exquisite pipe, something that normally would only be found in the antique meerschaums of the late 19th and early 20th centuries.

This pipe comes with its original box, card, and certificate of authenticity. Note that the card displays the price the pipe was sold for in 1986, $325, which adjusted for inflation is closer to $1000 in 2023.

 

Details:

Length: 5.7″

Bowl Width: 20.7mm

Bowl Depth: 1.5″

Weight: 1.5oz / 43g