Multicolour glaze

July 2002

This beautifully shaped pipe bowl of a man in historical costume originates in the Dutel-Gisclon factory in Montereau. The press mould for this distinctive pipe was made in the 1870s, but it was most likely an older design. Remarkable fot this copy is the finish with a painting in multi-colour glaze, which covers the entire surface of the pipe. In contrast to the more common paint enamel, in which only a few colour accents were made, in this case a fully polychrome version is made. Until now it is the only pipe with this colourful finish that is known from Gisclon and therefore a rarity. Therefore we expect this work is not done in the pipe factory itself, but by a potter somewhere in France. Especially the lifelike tones of the man's face are well done, because skin colours are very difficult to approach. By the way, glazing a clay pipe is not a logical choise. due to the pressing of the pipe the surface has become too smooth to give a good adhesion for the glaze. This results in a vulnerable glaze skin that is likely to loose flakes of enamel in the event of an impact.

Amsterdam Pipe Museum APM 16.494

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