Dunhill: Shell Briar Zodiac 'Year of the Dragon 2024' (3202) (263/318) Tobacco Pipe

The Chinese Zodiac calendar follows a 12-year cycle, each year represented by a specific animal. According to one legend, the order of the animals corresponds to an ancient race organized by the Jade Emperor, with the animals' places marking the order of the calendar. The fifth animal to finish was the Dragon, and 2024 is celebrated as the Year of the Dragon. For years, Dunhill has honored this Chinese tradition with a singular pipe shape, fashioned in limited quantities and decorated with a silver band depicting the year's animal.

For 2024, The White Spot's Zodiac pipe is one the English marque's most iconic shapes: the "02" bent Billiard, presented in this series in Group 3 size. The "02" is widely considered the archetypal rendition of the bent Billiard form, and it's easy to understand why when considering its shapely bowl, pleasing, well-balanced proportions, and sweeping curvature. Although serialized out of 318, only 259 pipes were actually fashioned in the Shell Briar finish: All numbers containing "4" were omitted according to Chinese numerology, and the number one remains in The White Spot's archive, with this particular example stamped as number 263. Moreover, this piece comes complete with a series-exclusive leather pouch embossed with an image of a Dragon to match the pipe's dragon-etched accent of sterling silver.