Merits from Saint-Claude

10 October 2013

In the showcase behind the shop we made a small exhibition of modern tobacco pipes, entitled “Merits from Saint-Claude”. The selected pipes are fine examples of design in briar pipes, made in the capital of Briars: Saint-Claude in the French Jura. We acquired all pipes recently on the spot to complement the museum collection. In this way we keep our collections up-to-date.

Sebastien Beaud is a pipe maker who owns a small workshops and is represented with a pipe with facet-bowl inspired by cubism. The Butz-Chouin factory made an original pipe, related to the artist René Magritte. The pipe is sold as three separate parts in a tin with a printed label stating "Ceci est une pipe". The pipe bowl is shaped like the famous bowler hat of the Belgian artist, especially when closed off with a lid that forms the rim of the hat.

The Chacom firm is currently the leading pipe producer in Saint-Claude. The young director, Antoine Grenard, is trained as a designer and has daring ideas. One of the follies he made is a so-called ‘grolle’, a pipe with four stems, referring to the liquor glass with four sprouts that is popular during the annual market to taste the new eau-de vie. Other pipes from his firm are more serious pipes, with new shapes and a new finishing, such as the pipe covered in fine Thai wickerwork. This changes the appearance of the pipe completely, covering up the wooden structure.

The mini-expo is open to the public on all opening hours: Wednesday through Saturday noon to 6 PM.

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