Meerschaum Pipe

Q: My husband bought this pipe around 1990 in an Austin, Texas, antique shop. The pipe is in its original case. Can you tell me what kind of pipe this is and how much it might be worth? Thank you.

A: You have a meerschaum pipe in a fitted case. Meerschaum pipes are arguably the most prized among pipe collectors. Meerschaum is the common name for sepiolite, a clay-like mineral that occurs in an opaque white, grey, or cream color. The name “meerschaum” comes from the German words “meer” and “schaum” meaning sea foam. A meerschaum pipe’s value is dependent on several factors such as the quality of the meerschaum (block meerschaum as compared to pressed meerschaum), workmanship (the quality and craftmanship in the carving), the size (size varies from a few inches to 16 inches or longer), subject matter (erotic brings a higher premium), scarcity, and condition.  Online venue offers more than 8,000 meerschaum pipes, new and antique, from $16.99 to $7,280. Your pipe depicts the head of a man with a beard and wearing a tall turban. The pipe looks like those still being hand-carved in Turkey by the Royal Meerschaum Company. The company is owned by the Korn family, who have been hand-carving meerschaum pipes for more than 40 years; no two pipes are the same and come in black leather, velvet-lined cases. Their website offers many meerschaum pipes like yours in the $50-$90 range.

Meerschaum Pipe

Meerschaum Pipe