Dunhill: Dragon Pipe Shell Briar with Silver and Rubies (4103) (2016) Tobacco Pipe

This is an extremely unique piece from English marque Dunhill, though not explicitly because of its shape or its finish. A Group 4 Billiard with all the balanced muscularity that those pipes confer, this pipe is instead set apart because of its richly detailed accent work, taking the form of a wrapping dragon made from pure silver. The size of this pipe allows the dragon plenty of space to wrap around the bowl's flanks, Dunhill's artisans here having leveraged the measured curves of the Billiard to display this metallurgic art across a plane that would be perhaps too deeply arced on other shapes. Rather than being etched into the silver, the eyes of this dragon are represented by a pair of inlaid rubies that immediately draw the viewer to its snarling face.

Appropriate for a pipe of this fineness, Dunhill has stored it inside a high-quality box whose wood has been finished in a laquered stain and polished to a high gloss. Inside, the pipe is held within a velvet lining cut to fit its form specifically, and the box itself comes complete with a polishing cloth for easy cleaning. Reminiscent of a very limited line of pipes released in 2001 to celebrate the year of the Dragon, this piece from Dunhill serves to showcase the incredible talent of the White Spot's artisans, and especially their silversmiths. Finished in the crisp sandblast and inky stain of the Shell Briar series, there's plenty of contrast to appreciate as the silver dragon stands out against the stummel in stunning relief.