Ismail Baglan Magnum Ram w/ Case Estate Block Meerschaum Pipe, Unsmoked

In the world of meerschaum, even more so than the world of briar, having one’s name put on one’s works is a privilege granted to very few carvers. Only those who have risen through the ranks of Turkey’s many meerschaum workshops and proved themselves as among the very best in the craft are granted that right, which typically takes form of a quite literal “signing” of the pipe itself. For every Baki, Kenan, Sabri, or Tekin, there are hundreds of craftsmen who will remain anonymous to those who enjoy their work. Ismail Baglan was born into a family of meerschaum carvers in Eskişehir, Türkiye’s meerschaum carving capital, so it was only natural that he too would join the craft. His early years were spent learning from his brother, Kemal Baglan, and in the decades that followed he would become acclaimed for his mastery of the medium. Here we have one of Baglan’s famously detailed animal head renditions, and in genuinely magnum proportions, no less. The subject looks to be a European mouflon, a species of sheep whose rams feature long, spiraling horns, which Baglan has rendered here with exceptional intricacy, along with the creature’s mane. In addition to the pipe’s central, figural motif, the remainder of the bowl has been decorated with Turkish floral carvings—leaving no stone, as one might say, unturned. This pipe is completely unsmoked and comes with its original case.   Details: Length: 8″ / 203.2mm Bowl Width: 0.98 / 24.89mm Bowl Depth: 1.74″ / 44.19mm Weight: 4.0oz / 116g

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