Ser Jacopo Albus et Niger Pulchra L (C)
Giancarlo Guidi was a true visionary who was instrumental in defining the “Scuola di Pesaro” or the Pesaro School of pipe making and design — endowing classical shapes with a sense of style, flair and elegance not found in the more traditionally conservative English school. He founded two of Italy’s premiere pipemaking establishments; Mastro de Paja in 1972 and Ser Jacopo upon leaving Mastro in 1983. Sadly, Giancarlo left us in 2012 after a prolonged illness. He was 64 years old. Yet his vision lives on in the many singular creations that continue to flourish from these two studios.
This larger Rhodesian is from the Albus et Niger or Black and White series, so named from the black contrast staining of the strummel and the ivory colored acrylic stem. I first saw this staining effect sometime around 2005 where it was used by Elio & Guido Rinaldo on a few of their pipes at the time. It’s an interesting finish that renders an almost marble or stone-like effect with the lighter brown tones intermingled with the predominating dark grayish-black. Being a higher “C” grade, the straight grain is uniformly distributed around the circumference of the bowl.
Ser Jacopo is known for their exceptional silverwork with which Giancarlo Guidi introduced a number of decorative silver mounts including the Delecta, Imago, and Cymatium. The mount used here is the Pulchra, Latin for “Beautiful” and it is just that. The irregular dimpling in the lower half scatters and reflects light like the facets of a gemstone. This is probably my favorite of the various silver mounts used by Ser Jacopo, instilling the shape with a touch of refined elegance.
Ser Jacopo Albus et Niger Pulchra L (C)
Giancarlo Guidi was a true visionary who was instrumental in defining the “Scuola di Pesaro” or the Pesaro School of pipe making and design — endowing classical shapes with a sense of style, flair and elegance not found in the more traditionally conservative English school. He founded two of Italy’s premiere pipemaking establishments; Mastro de Paja in 1972 and Ser Jacopo upon leaving Mastro in 1983. Sadly, Giancarlo left us in 2012 after a prolonged illness. He was 64 years old. Yet his vision lives on in the many singular creations that continue to flourish from these two studios.
This larger Rhodesian is from the Albus et Niger or Black and White series, so named from the black contrast staining of the strummel and the ivory colored acrylic stem. I first saw this staining effect sometime around 2005 where it was used by Elio & Guido Rinaldo on a few of their pipes at the time. It’s an interesting finish that renders an almost marble or stone-like effect with the lighter brown tones intermingled with the predominating dark grayish-black. Being a higher “C” grade, the straight grain is uniformly distributed around the circumference of the bowl.
Ser Jacopo is known for their exceptional silverwork with which Giancarlo Guidi introduced a number of decorative silver mounts including the Delecta, Imago, and Cymatium. The mount used here is the Pulchra, Latin for “Beautiful” and it is just that. The irregular dimpling in the lower half scatters and reflects light like the facets of a gemstone. This is probably my favorite of the various silver mounts used by Ser Jacopo, instilling the shape with a touch of refined elegance.