Ser Jacopo: Gem Series Fiammata (Zaffiro) Paneled Bent Dublin with Silver (C) (Maxima Maxima) Tobacco Pipe

Ser Jacopo was founded in the 1980s by legendary pipe maker Giancarlo Guidi. The workshop cultivated their signature Pesaro style, which delights in dramatic flourishes and whimsical stylings, even more so than the already playful Italian tradition. Unfortunately, Guidi passed away in 2012, but Ser Jacopo carries on his legacy. The Gem Series consists of the most outstanding pipes at Ser Jacopo, displaying incredible shaping, stunning grain, and an abundance of classic Pesaro charm. Moreover, the series has an internal grading system to denote quality that ascends in order from Smeraldo ("Emerald"), Granato ("Garnet"), Zaffiro ("Sapphire"), and Rubino ("Ruby"), to Brillante ("Diamond").

This Zaffiro-graded bent Dublin by Ser Jacopo features a paneled bowl, with crisp line work dividing the flanks from the fore and aft. Furthermore, the panels are not vertical planes, the flanks bulge outwards as they flare to the rim, and the flat surface of the fore arcs from heel to rim. The construction of the bowl produces an intriguing canvas for the exemplary grain, namely the thick streaks of flame grain that rise up the broad flanks, and how pockets of birdseye slowly blend into vertical grain on the fore. Additionally, the varied grain on the panels is united by rippling growth rings that wrap around the bowl in unbroken undulations. The bowl is dressed in a vivid auburn smooth finish, except for the rim, whose rectangular form displays a craggy pattern of plateau.

Out back, the shank-and-stem arrangement rises out of a low-set transition, creating a sinuous curvature that extends the length of the pipe's underside and fore. The shank meets the stem at a shining silver band, providing a flourishing demarcation between the jet-black acrylic and warm-hued stummel. Since this bent Dublin received the Gem Series' Zaffrio grade, it is adorned with a sapphire, which is inlayed into the base of the stem — an elegant touch for a pipe worthy of the grade.