Carved Turkish Meerschaum Pipe, Moorish Style, Hand-Crafted, 1950

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Carved Turkish Figural Meerschaum Pipe with Moorish Turkish Bearded head.
Meerschaum pipe is a smoking pipe made from the mineral … Read more Carved Turkish Figural Meerschaum Pipe with Moorish Turkish Bearded head.
Meerschaum pipe is a smoking pipe made from the mineral sepiolite, also known as meerschaum. Meerschaum , German for "sea foam" is sometimes found floating on the Black Sea and is rather suggestive of sea foam (hence the German origin of the name, as well as the French name for the same substance, écume de mer).
Meerschaum, also known as curlstone, is a unique mineral mined in the Anatolian province of Eskisehir. Local artisans hand carve the stone into collectibles, most notably tobacco pipes, world renowned for quality and taste. Meerschaum is most widely known for its use in pipe making, where specialists carve and polish the stone to create intricate and collectable tobacco pipes. It is also considered one of the best materials for pipe creation and is widely sought after by smokers who say the materials adds flavor to the tobacco and by collectors who appreciate the beauty and stories behind the carvings.
Long and unusual decorative collector pipe, very fine hand carved work.
Carved Turkish meerschaum products were traditionally made in manufacturing centers such as Vienna. Since the 1970s, though, Turkey has banned the exportation of meerschaum nodules, trying to set up a local meerschaum industry. The once famous manufacturers have therefore disappeared and European pipe producers turned to others sources for their pipes.
Never used.
Figural Turkish Pipe: Measures 20" length and 4" wide
Will make a great gift. See less