German Estates: Manuel Shaabi Carved Horn (9mm) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Born in Lebanon in 1950, Manuel Shaabi first began working with wood as an apprentice cabinet maker and wood sculptor before fleeing the country in 1979 because of the Lebanese Civil War. After escaping, Shaabi established himself in Bavaria, Germany, where he made a living carving fine furnishings and doing restoration work before relocating to Hamburg in 1984. After being unable to find work, he went back to school and was trained professionally, being offered a job at the school after completing his final test. The following years saw him finding success, becoming an award-winning cabinet maker, though finding himself unfulfilled creatively. In 1993, he gave up his career and started work at Pipe-Dan doing repairs, staying with the factory for five years and honing his pipe-making skills before starting his own workshop in 1998. Since then, Shaabi has been celebrated for his pipe carving efforts, his pieces displaying crisp lines and refined silhouettes, often being carved with intricate patterns such as can be seen across this Horn. The shaping here is quite classic, being reminiscent of the archetypal Horn shape which we've often seen from artisans and carvers in the past. Outside of being carved across its facets with complex designs, this Horn is also Paneled at the left and aft sides, creating a trio of firm ridges around the stummel's circumference. Said ridges are quite firm in hand and outline a consistent expansion from shank to rim, the briar lifting at the fore as the bowl rises out of a lifting heel. At the fore, the briar is left smoothly flowing and rounded, crating a wonderful diversity of textures which is here highlighted best by the broad panels of Celtic knots that have been etched into all three of the panels around the stummel. A warm, light stain dresses the smooth sections of briar here, revealing handsome grain contrasted by a base of craggy rustication behind the knotwork.