The William Tell Overture
Friday, January 20, 2012 at 3:06PM | Neill Archer Roan | Permalink tagged 1936 Olympics, Berlin, French pipes, Scott Stultz, Stephen Downie, William Tell, figural briar pipes | in Artisan, Artisanal Pipes, Collecting, Pipe History, Pipes 
Earlier this week, when I was in Pennsylvania on business I had the pleasure of joining my friend, artist Scott Stultz, in his studio for an evening of conversation, good tobacco, and fine Scotch whisky.
To sit in my friend Scott’s studio is a feast for the senses, not the least of which is the eyes. The space is full of art, books, pipes, finely crafted furniture, sketch books, and the detritus of a passion for the quirky and the tactile. Sitting there in Scott’s hard rock maple armchair, there are so many compelling things at which to gawk that I felt a little like a sailor at a Rockettes show; the only reason to move my eyes was a likelihood that they would alight on something even better.
Next to an old pipe rack and array of briars, I spied the remarkable old figural pipe you see depicted in photographs here. Masterfully rendered in briar wood is this smokable bust of William Tell, the storied archer of old whose legend is known by children around the world.
“What is that figural pipe made of?” I inquired of Scott as I scrutinized it from some ten feet away. To me, at that distance, I assumed that the pipe was cast of clay or some similar medium.