Ser Jacopo (Pre-1997) Rowlette Delecta Wax Drip Bent Egg with Horn and Silver (Estate)

Ser Jacopo is one of the most famous contemporary examples of high-grade, workshop-made Italian pipes. It also belongs to a very special tradition in Italian pipe making, having been established by Giancarlo Guidi and Bruno Sordini after the two had left another great Italian workshop, Mastro de Paja. Together, Guidi and Sordini created a brand of pipes that reflected their Renaissance sensibilities – even the figurehead of Ser Jacopo happens to be taken from a painting of a nobleman from centuries past—one that would soon become esteemed for creating unique and beautiful tobacco pipes that smoked just as perfectly as they looked.

“Wax drip” finishes are, like the pebble-dash, a veritable institution within the Italian handmades scene, with just about every high-end workshop in the nation having their own rendition. The “Rowlette” is Ser Jacopo’s rendition, naming a series of carefully hand-carved finishing intended to emulate a candle as it burns and melts away. This is a rather large example of the Rowlette in action, and I was a little surprised not to see a “Maxima” designation, as its bowl is a towering one, with an especially deep chamber to match.

Judging by the stem inlay, this would be a pre-1997 make. I wasn’t able to tell whether the inlay is perspex or sea coral (partly because the latter is so varied in hue, which is part of the reason it was chosen for Ser Jacopo pipes), though by 1997, both had been dropped in favor of the workshop’s current stem logo, which is a silver “J.”

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim charring.

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.81 / 20.57mm

Bowl Depth: 2.22″ / 56.38mm

Weight: 3.1oz / 88g