Dunhill: Imperial Dragon Cumberland Billiard with Silver (4103) (15/88) Tobacco Pipe

The Imperial Dragon series from Dunhill honors the legendary creature from Chinese Mythology. For thousands of years, Chinese Emperors used the Dragon as a symbol of imperial strength and power. Today, the dragon is still an important Chinese icon, representing good fortune and playing an essential role in the Chinese Zodiac. With this pipe, Dunhill recognizes the enduring influence of this symbology.

Dunhill chose their most famous shape for the Imperial Dragon line, a Group 4-sized "03" Billiard. The bowl's gentle forward cant, proportional shank, cumberland tapered stem, and rugged Cumberland sandblast will be instantly familiar to any Dunhill aficionado. However, the sliver wind cap, carved into the face of a dragon, dramatically alters the compositional weight of the classic shape. The dragon sculpture has two horns and five claws, a symbol once reserved only for the emperor, and is clutching a pearl in its mouth, which represents the dragon's control over thunderstorms. Furthermore, the wind cap's gaps are in the dragon's mouth, so when the pipe is lit is seems like the dragon is preparing to breathe fire.

The pipe is presented in a book-shaped case, inscribed with the title "The Imperial Dragon." The cover also displays a picture of the Yellow Dragon that was taken from the original robe of a Chinese Emperor, possibly from China's final imperial rulers, the Qing Dynasty. Also, the limited series is listed for an 88-pipe run, but only 70 pipes were made, as numbers containing the integer "4" were skipped due to its unlucky connotations in Chinese culture. This incredibly rare and symbolic pipe would make a worthy addition to any collection, especially for an avid procurer of Dunhills.