Ardor Urano Fantasy Christmas 2002 Rusticated Bent Pot with Silver and Lucite (Unsmoked Estate)

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.

While not as common today, many of the great Italian artisan workshops created “Christmas Pipes” in decades past, offering limited-edition pipes during the holiday season. Il Ceppo, Radice, and Caminetto, for example, all made Christmas Pipes at one point in time, as did the Roveras’ Ardor make. This particular pipe is an example of the latter, made all the way back in 2002. Dressed in a fittingly seasonal rendition of the Urano and Fantasy subseries, it takes the form of a muscular bent pot, with a deep, dark, faux-sandblast rusticated finish, a silver inlay, and a snowy-white Lucite mount and mouthpiece.

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

Details:

Length: 5.70″ / 144.7mm

Chamber Width: 0.85″ / 21.59mm

Chamber Depth: 1.76″ / 44.70mm

Bowl Height: 1.98″ / 50.29mm

Weight: 2.4oz / 68g