Meerschaum tobacco pipe from the Württemberg royal family
Record status
Individual type · partial
Period
18th-19th century
This exceptional meerschaum tobacco pipe, associated with the royal family of Württemberg, is a masterpiece of historical craftsmanship. The pipe bowl features intricate relief carvings, most notably the royal coat of arms of Württemberg, which is underlaid with crossed marshal's batons and the Grand Cross of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa.
The back of the bowl displays the carved initials "FF" for Duke Ferdinand Friedrich of Württemberg. The pipe is topped by a detachable, partially gilt silver lid crafted in the form of a Württemberg crown, showcasing elaborate goldsmith's work and master's marks. The mount is executed in silver (13 Löth). Complementing the bowl is an ebony shaft decorated with silver and mother-of-pearl inlays, terminating in a carved amber mouthpiece.
With a total length of approximately 50 cm and a bowl height of 14.5 cm, the pipe serves as a significant historical memento linked to the Austrian field marshal Duke Ferdinand Friedrich of Württemberg.
Evidence at a glance
- Linked sources
- 1
- Photograph views
- 1
- Catalogue references
- 0
Counts describe this entry’s documentation, not authenticity, rarity or completeness. Photographs may show one specimen; check each caption and licence.
Physical characteristics
- Bowl height
- 14.5 cm
- Lid material
- partially gilt silver
- Total length
- 50 cm
- Bowl material
- meerschaum
- Shaft material
- ebony, silver, mother-of-pearl
- Mouthpiece material
- carved amber
Technical characteristics
- Marks
- various master's marks
- Silver purity
- 13 Löth
Design
- Motifs
- royal Württemberg coat of arms, crossed marshal's batons, Grand Cross of the Austrian Military Order of Maria Theresa, Württemberg crown
- Inscriptions
- FF
Identification
- Source note
- Described from a single auction-house listing published on Invaluable (reproduced with Invaluable's permission). Details apply to that one example; other examples of the type may differ, and the listing is supplementary evidence, not authentication.
Catalogue references
No catalogue numbers recorded. Numbers are only published once transcribed from a verified edition of a standard catalogue — they are never inferred.