English Estates: GBD Unique Matt Panel (3) (1960-1980) Tobacco Pipe

GBD, its name deriving from those of its three founders Ganneval, Bondier, and Donninger, originally began life in Paris in 1850. In later years, the company would be sold to A. Oppenheimer & Co. in London in 1902, where it would become an English marque. Dated sometime between 1960 and 1980, this Panel from GBD eschews the marque's traditional inclinations for a more expressive design. The bowl stands tall with an upright posture, its walls framed by six facets as they flare from the flat heel toward an undulating ridgeline, where the facets then terminate as the walls form a sloping taper to the rim. Housed within the bowl is a deep chamber, sure to offer leisurely smoking sessions. A round shank reaches far from the bowl out back and meets a slightly downturned saddle stem, the arrangement lending considerable length to the composition. Dressed in a warm, auburn stain, the stummel showcases handsome grain all throughout.