Wiley Galleon (44) Large Rusticated Freehand Sitter with Acrylic (Estate)

Beginning his career as a pipe maker in the 1970s, Randy Wiley was a key figure in the new wave of American artisans in the late-20th century pipe scene—and still is today, five decades later. Though he does make some “traditional” pieces, he is, arguably America’s greatest living carver of “freehand” pipes, comparable to Denmark’s Preben Holm or Erik Nørding in their prime. And, like Holm and Nørding, Wiley has an array of signature finishes at his disposal, resulting in designs that occasionally border on the figural.

The Galleon is one of Wiley’s aforementioned signature finishes, and it’s another interesting point of overlap between his pipes and those of the pioneers of the Danish artisan scene. Each pipe in the series is dressed in a micro-rustication not unlike the techniques utilized in Denmark in the 1950s and 1960s. It pairs especially well with Wiley’s use of accents, such as the ivory-toned acrylic mount and mouthpiece seen on this large freehand sitter.

The condition is very good. Some inner rim darkening and slight finish fading.

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.91 / 23.11mm

Bowl Depth: 1.81″ / 45.97mm

Weight: 3.2oz / 92g