Turkish Estates: Baglan Meerschaum Demon Head (with Case) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Throughout the 18th and 19th centuries, meerschaum was one of the most popular materials for carving pipes, predating briar by more than a century. Prized for its flavor-neutral smoking properties and unique ability to darken with patina while smoked, meerschaum is also immune to "ghosting" — absorbing a specific tobacco's flavor — making it idea for sampling a variety of different blends. More scientifically known as sepiolite, its common name comes from the German word for "sea foam," and is a reference to the naturally pale white coloration of the material. Its relative ease of carving while moist allows for the rendering of highly figural, sculptural pipes that are rich with detail, such as this maniacal demon head by Ismali Baglan. A strikingly ornate meerschaum, the main figure here is a snarling demon reminiscent of demonic figures from Turkic and East Asian mythology, perhaps a fusion of an Oni or Akuma and Erlik Khan. The figure is crowned by a brace of horns and a mane of flowing hair, his face twisted into a grotesque mockery of the human form, with a long tongue and protruding fangs at the center of a twisted mass of wrinkled flesh. At the bottom, this demon is framed by a two headed dragon who faces rearwards, breathing fire at his enemies who would deign to strike from behind. Not for the faint of heart, this baleful malefactor is a stunning display of Baglan's mastery of carving.