Measuring 12-7/8″ x 2-1/2″, this exceptional example formerly of the D.H. Elliot Museum (Atlanta, Georgia) was reportedly found in Bartow Co., Georgia. It is made from an appropriate green steatite and is the one of the only examples of a near-first stage ‘Cloudblower’ we are aware of. Over time, as the bowl was scraped out, the pipe would have lost both overall length, and the open diameter of the bowl would have expanded. The constricted end on this piece belies the scraping that has already taken place inside, which expands the inside diameter of the pipe bowl on one end. The center ‘knot’ features a stylized interlocked ‘hand’ design perhaps signifying a particular individual or event. Engraving on this type of pipe is typically very rare. At the August 2018 Owenboro, Kentucky show, a smaller example was brought into the show by the finder who had turned down many offers to purchase. The smaller example had been found across the border in Tennessee. The similarity between the two suggests they were made by the same maker. Ex D.H. Elliott Museum, Humpal Family Estate Collections. Call for pricing and availability.
