Ardor Meteora Fantasy Rusticated Blowfish w/ Silver Estate Briar Pipe, Unsmoked

Description

Like many Italian workshop brands, Ardor pipes are a family affair. The name itself is an acronym of Angelo Rovera and Dorelio Rovera, father and son pipe-makers who created the brand in 1972. The Rovera family’s history with pipes goes back much further, however, as Angelo’s own father, Francesco, had previously established the Sociedade Rovera pipe company with his brothers in 1911. All Ardor pipes are completely hand-made from briar that has been seasoned for at least 4-5 years, and the brand is noteworthy for its playful and innovative approaches to design. As a result, Ardor pipes are both quintessentially Italian, while also being somewhat different, having a style that is wholly their own.

For the most part, Ardor’s house finishes take their inspiration from celestial bodies and are named accordingly. For example, the Giove, being Italian for “Jupiter,” is a smooth contrast finish of alternating red, orange, and brown, much like the appearance of its planet namesake; the Plutone, on the other hand, was a red lacquered finish, evocative of the the mysterious, striking patches of color on that otherwise greyish-beige edge case at the far reaches of our solar system. Being Italian for “meteor,” the Ardor Meteora is, as one might expect, a rusticated finish, though it’s a highly unique one. Instead of a simple roughing of the briar, the Meteora is a mixture of pebble-dash, smooth polished, and geometrically carved sections, resulting is something that is more figural than is typically seen on rusticated pipes, with parallels to the “wax drip” motif seen on certain Castello, Caminetto, and Ser Jacopo pipes. Another layer of distinction comes from the Rovera family’s use of rather non-Italian forms for their pipes, such as this one’s blowfish-style shaping, and yet another comes from the final touches, by way of ornate accents and mountings. The brainchild of Dorelio Rovera’s son and Ardor’s third-generation craftsman, Damiano, “Fantasy” in this instance denotes the use of materials such as Lucite and sterling silver to add a little extra finery to certain Ardor pieces, cementing their status within the high-end of Italian pipes.

This pipe is completely unsmoked and comes with its original box and sleeve.

Details:

Length: 5.9″ / 149.86mm

Bowl Width: 0.85″ / 21.59mm

Bowl Depth: 1.65″/ 41.91mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g