A good mid- to late-18th century carved treen and white metal-mounted pipe bowl, German/Austrian
181
A good mid- to late-18th century carved treen and white metal-mounted pipe bowl, German/Austrian
Carved in a 'U'-shape, the bowl with hinged and pierced white metal cover with a scallop shell terminal, the bowl well-carved with the image of Victory or Athena, seated, holding a shield and sceptre, and resting her left elbow on a shield carved with the letter 'K' within a wreath of laurels, a Doric column behind her left shoulder, flanked by cannon, swords, drums and other martial symbols, the bowl of the pipe stem (now lacking), carved as a scaly dolphin, its mouth open to receive the stem, the two sides of the bowl spaced by a bird with outstretched wings, pecking the dolphin's mouth,
11cm high
Sold for £562 inc. premium

Footnotes

  • This pipe bowl was perhaps carved to commemorate a mid- to late-18th century battle.

    Edward H. Pinto, Treen and Other Wooden Bygones (1985), Fig. 356, illustrates other similar pipe bowls, attributed to Austria or Germany, and dated 1750 - 1800. Ibid, p. 336, notes that 'dolphin pipes' - where a dolphin grasps the stem in its open mouth - form a distinctive type.

Category: Furniture

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Megan Wheeler Bonhams
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Chester, CH3 5TD
United Kingdom
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Specialist - Furniture