Sven Lar B Magnum Spot Carved Freehand Estate Briar Pipe, American Estates

Description

Sven Lar was the name used by a workshop headed by American freehand carver Michael Kabik. Kabik got his start as one of the earliest freehand carvers in the United States, working for CHP-X Pipes, owned by Chuck Holiday, in the early-1970s. After CHP-X was forced to close, Kabik was approached with the offer of heading a new workshop in Virginia, which ultimately took on the name Sven Lar. As with many American freehand carvers, Kabik was especially influenced by the greats of Danish post-war pipe-making, including Anne Julie, who spent time with Kabik, passing on the techniques of the trade.

I’ve said before that, while Sven Lar’s output was relatively typical of its contemporary, nascent American freehand scene, it’s clear from the workshop’s output that Kabik was trained as a sculptor before turning to pipes. This would be true even if he didn’t have a line of pipes named Skulptur, which I’d presume is taken from the Danish word for—of course—”sculpture.” On the other hand, this positively giant freehand sitter is a little closer to the French fleur as far as design goes, leaning into the flaring, floral bloom of that genre. The grain is excellent, as would be expected, with pockets of spot carving adding a further layering to the fiery patterns of the bowl.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and slight handling marks.

 

Details:

Length: 7.5″ / 190.5mm

Bowl Width: 1.03 / 26.16mm

Bowl Depth: 2.44″ / 61.97mm

Weight: 3.5oz / 102g