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Vintage Micoli Fresco Freehand Sitter – Sculptural Estate Briar Pipe
Offered is a striking vintage Micoli Fresco freehand estate pipe featuring an unusual sculptural sitter design.
This is a particularly distinctive Micoli, combining areas of beautifully polished smooth briar with dramatic, deeply carved natural-looking sections around the bowl, rim, heel and shank. The result is an almost organic appearance, with large craggy projections surrounding portions of the smooth briar.
The extended carving beneath the bowl forms a natural sitter, allowing the pipe to stand upright on a flat surface without a pipe rest.
The smooth shank is signed:
MICOLI
FRESCO
An especially interesting feature is the pipe’s threaded black nylon reverse-tenon assembly. The tenon threads directly into the briar shank, with the stem fitting onto the opposite end. The tenon is removable and is shown both installed and removed in the photographs.
The pipe has a substantial sculpted stem with a gentle bend that complements the sweeping shape of the shank and bowl.
The smooth portions of the briar display attractive natural grain and warm reddish-brown coloration, contrasting beautifully with the darker carved areas.
This is a smoked vintage estate pipe and shows normal signs of previous use and age. The chamber has been smoked, and the stem shows light age/use consistent with an estate pipe. Please examine the detailed photographs carefully for the exact condition of the chamber, rim, carved areas, stem and threaded tenon.
The unusual form, dramatic carving and surviving reverse-tenon assembly make this a particularly interesting example of Micoli’s highly individualistic pipe making.
A wonderful pipe for a Micoli collector, freehand enthusiast, or anyone looking for a genuinely unusual piece of American pipe-making history.
Measurements:
Overall length: 5 1/5”
Bowl height: 1 1/2”
Bowl width at widest point: 1 3/8”
Chamber diameter: 3/4”
Chamber depth: 1 5/16”
Please review all photographs carefully, as they show the actual pipe being offered and form an important part of the description.
