Vintage Meerschaum Pipe Bird's Claw Holding Bowl in Original Case From France
Description: Vintage meerschaum pipe with an amber colored stem. The bowl of the pipe is egg shaped and is held by a carved bird's claw with a feather covered bird's leg. The leg shows details of feathers and ends in four toes with nicely carved curved nails around the egg shaped bowl. The carving is very beautiful and shows a lot of details. Just look at the feathers and the nails at the end of the toes. The bowl was obviously used and has acquire a nice reddish hue typical of used meerschaum as did the rest of the pipe. The mouth piece or stem also has nice coloration and meshes well with the rest of the piece. The piece comes in its original lined black case marked "CULOTTAGE GARANTI .19.Bd Montmartre PARIS" surrounding the name of the dealer M.A.LANCEL. We have not attempted to unscrew the stem for fear of damaging the piece and we are selling the piece as found. Be that as it may, the piece is beautiful and would display very nicely in your collection. Please carefully review the photos presented as they are part and parcel of our description.
Date: Uncertain but possibly early to mid 1900s (early to mid 20th century).
Origin: Purchased at an estate auction in Southeastern Pennsylvania. The piece was made somewhere in France as indicated in the case.
Size: The pipe measures ~5 1/2" long including the stem, the bowl is ~1 3/4" high and the top measures ~1/2" in diameter. The pipe as well as the case together weigh ~2 ounces.
Maker: Unknown.
Marks: The bowl is unmarked, but the case is marked "CULOTTAGE GARANTI .19.Bd Montmartre PARIS" surrounding the name of the dealer M.A.LANCEL on the inside in gold lettering.
Distinguishing Characteristics - Most Interesting About The Piece: Very nice pipe, which would display nicely in your collection.
Condition: The pipe is in very good condition. It has no apparent repairs, cracks or chips. The pipe shows signs of use and has acquired a reddish color typical of used meerschaum. The stem is also intact and clean. We have not attempted to unscrew the stem for fear of damaging the piece and we are selling the piece as found. The case is in very good condition with the hinge working as it should and the locking mechanism still intact and working properly. The interior of the case is in good condition, with the exterior showing signs of wear and some losses to the leather around the edges and around the locking mechanism. Other than that, the piece is problem free and looks great. Please see photos for additional condition information.
