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Family History Documents and Artefacts => FH Documents and Artefacts => Topic started by: dr.livingstone on Thursday 19 December 13 08:22 GMT (UK)

Title: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: dr.livingstone on Thursday 19 December 13 08:22 GMT (UK)
Hello,
I recently inherited a beautiful turn of the century meerschaum portraiture pipe. I am looking to identify the face on this late Victorian era (probably 1880-1900) Meerschaum pipe. From what i have derived from my research, pipes from this era usually have prominent easily identifiable figures of the age, ie czars, sultans, kings, and keisers. I found this pipe to be strange because the hat is renaissance in style but the facial hair is of the period. Not anyone I recognize. Any help would be much appreciated. Thanks!
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Ruskie on Thursday 19 December 13 08:45 GMT (UK)
Welcome to rootschat dr.livingstone. Very nice pipe. I know nothing of these things but for some reason I came to wonder if this could be a portrait of popular fictional character - someone from Dickens perhaps? (solely due to the headgear)
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Maggie. on Thursday 19 December 13 09:44 GMT (UK)
What a wonderful and intriguing object to inherit, and a warm welcome to RootsChat from me too.  I''m a bit busy today but if I get a moment to spare I would love to try to find an answer. 

Maggie
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Maggie. on Thursday 19 December 13 09:49 GMT (UK)
A very quick internet trawl led me here where there are some similar ones.

http://www.antiquepipeco.com/#/meerschaum-pipes/4541246235

Maggie
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Mike in Cumbria on Thursday 19 December 13 10:05 GMT (UK)
Good find Maggie. From that, I would guess that the Doctor's pipe isn't a famous person's portrait, but rather a generic "renaissance man" or similar.

Mike
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Sandymc47 on Thursday 19 December 13 10:33 GMT (UK)
 :D  Hi there
I was just going to say the same Mike.
As the man has a Tam O'Shanter on, I would presume its the
imagination of what a Man from Scotland would look like?
The prices of those pipes are surprising.  From £300 to over £800
That's a nice price, you wouldn't want to burn it with tobacco ;)
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: Mike in Cumbria on Thursday 19 December 13 10:49 GMT (UK)
Do you think it's a Tam o' Shanter?  You could be right - it looked like a floppy renaissance type hat to me but I wasn't too sure about that.
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: dr.livingstone on Thursday 19 December 13 17:49 GMT (UK)
Thanks Everyone! Very good points. I would never have though of it being a Scottish style hat, but after looking at some drawings from the period, I think that it could definately be one. Still would love to pin point it, but maybe its a more generic person. Happy holidays
Title: Re: Please help me identify this (famous?) portrait
Post by: relatedtoturnips on Sunday 26 October 14 19:25 GMT (UK)

Looks like Phil from Time Team!  ;D