Pipe - Amber, Wood

Hand-carved pipe with an engraved amber mouthpiece – signed “Gustav … Vienna” – Austria, late XIX century.
Elegant collector's pipe coming from the Viennese tradition of the late nineteenth century, characterized by a bowl entirely carved by hand with a complex figurative scene rich in details. The mouthpiece is made of natural amber, engraved with floral motifs typical of the Jugendstil style.
The pipe features:
• A complex figurative scene carved in the round
• Dynamic anatomies and theatrical poses, typical of Steiner’s production
• Liberty-style decorative motifs in both wood and metal
• Engraved amber mouthpiece, a distinctive hallmark of Viennese workshops of the period
• On the lower side of the bowl there is a partially legible signature “Gustav … Vienna”, plausibly attributable to a craftsman active in Vienna between 1890 and 1910 (possible attribution: Gustav St
• Type: Hand-carved figurative pipe
• Origin: Vienna, Austria
• Period: ca. 1890–1910
• Overall good condition
• Minor flaws, highlighted in yellow in the photos, and signs of use compatible with age
• Signature partially worn but readable in the main parts
• Original patina preserved

• Bowl material: carved hardwood
• Mouthpiece material: natural amber, engraved
• Goblet/contacts: metal decorated with vegetal motifs
• Provenance: Vienna, Austria
• Period: ca. 1890–1910
• Signature: “Gustav … Vienna” (partial)
• Length: … cm 21
• Bowl height: … cm 65
• Inner bowl diameter: … cm 1.8
• Weight: … g 125
• Signature: “Gustav … Vienna” (partially legible)

Characteristics of the stroke:
• Fluid, right-leaning italic
• Burin-engraved superficial engraving
• Style consistent with Viennese Liberty (Jugendstil) handwriting
The morphology of the capital “G”, the tilt of the italic and the structure of the word “Vienna” correspond to known signatures of Gustav Steiner, Viennese sculptor active between 1895 and 1915.
Attribution to Gustav Steiner: highly probable (80–90%).