Moonlight Pipes Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

While some pipe-makers take inspiration from the natural world, or from the technologies of present and past, few of them in the contemporary seek to represent these forms in their work. Czech artisan Ondrej Bárta of Moonlight pipes does just that, in a way that recalls the intricate, figural carvings of briar pipes from the turn of the 20th century. But Ondrej also departs from the figural approach of early briar pipes by combining it with high-grade materials and a careful attention to grain patterns that is far more modern.

If there is such a thing as a ‘Czech school’ in pipe-making, it would seem that what unites its artisans is experiments not only with shapes, but equally with textures. From Eclesias’ jagged sandblasting to Biftek’s use of ridges and folds, Czech pipe-makers appear to be on a quest to explore what it can mean for a pipe to be ‘tactile.’ This pipe from Ondrej’s Moonlight moniker is one of the most intriguing works of pipe art I’ve held in quite some time. He’s managed to carve a figure that looks like something out of a jungle scene, such as a tree wrapped in creeping vines. It seems fitting, then, that the pipe’s hand cut ebonite stem is banded with a green camouflage ebonite accent.

 

Details:

Length: 6.2″ / 157.4mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.09″ / 27.68mm

Weight: 2.1oz / 60g