Italian Estates: Castello Old Antiquari Great Line Pot (GG) Tobacco Pipe

Italian workshop Castello has a rich history that stretches back to 1947 with its founding by Carlo Scotti, being established as one of the first Italian brands to offer high-quality handmade pipes to the general public. In the 1960s, following the addition of Luigi Radice and Peppino Ascorti to their team of carvers, Castello's pipes began to take on a form that was quite different from the Anglo-French classics that they and others had been producing. The Italian neoclassical style which they had begun to develop led not only to a shaping renaissance within Italy, but the production of a number of now iconic profiles. This Pot belongs to one of Castello's largest size designations: the Great Line. Displaying the bold, neoclassical design cues I expect from the Italian workshop, this piece presents with a fairly Billiard-like bowl paired to a stout, tapering shank and stem. It boasts a capacious chamber protected by thick, insulating walls, and it's wearing the striking Old Antiquari sandblast to accentuate rippling growth rings radiating from its heel. It is subtly flattened at the base, allowing it to sit upright, yet feel voluptuous and comforting in hand. This rendition has all the makings of an excellent desk pipe, and its enhanced size is further underscored by an impressive "GG" size designation, sure to become a favored pillar in any rotation.