St. Landry democrat. (Opelousas, La.) 1878-1894, 1891-05-23
MEERSCHAUM CARVING.
rT rs A DIFFICULT AND ALMOST uN-
KNOWN ART IN AMERICA.

A Boston Artist Tells what He Knows
About the subjeot-seme Examples Of
Mis- work-something About Himself
and Hss RusinesS-How He Proceeds.
There's curious little tobacco store on
one of the leading South End thorough
fares. 1t has been there for many vears,
and is so small that one might pasr by
hundred times without ever noticing 1t.
The door opening into this little shop La
just off the sidewalk, and suspended over
the door Ia a large gilded wooden pipe,
which serves as a sign to indicate the char
Sacter Of the place.
While sauntering down the street the
ether afternoon the writer's attention was,
attracted to this little shop by noticing two
or three men gazing interestedly into its
narrow window, and he paused to see what
they were admiring Being Interested in
neorschaum pipes, the young newspaper
man thought he would like to look more
closely at some of those in the display. So
he opened the door and stepped into the
place
It was curious little room, perhaps 90
feet long bv or feet wide, and near the
door was a small showcase, one end Of
the rest was filled with pipes, mostly Of
meerschaum, many of them in very odd
patterns. The shelves behind the showcase
were piled high with all kinds of smokers
articles and small boxes containing pieces
of raw meerschaum and amber.
THE SHOP.
And on the opposite wall were hung sew
eral very quaint pictures. At the back Of
the shop was small lathe with foot
pedal, and beside it was kit of tools Pc
culiar to the work of pipe making At this
lathe the proprietor of the place was indus.
trinusly working on piece of amber, to be
used as che mouthpiece of pipe, and he
hooked up as the door opened and the young
man approached him. When meerschaum
carving was spoken of he became enthusi
astic, and was very willing to talk.
did you make those pipes in the win
dowP" was asked
Yes, sir; and those In the showcase, too.
But those pipes are quite plain beside some
Of the carving have done. There is very
little meerschaum carving done in Boston,
and, in fact. there are but few first class
artists Ia meerschaum In this country,
and even those came from some foreign
place There are q good many workmen
here who cut plain pipes out of meer
schaum, because that work, like any other
trade, can be acquired; but in order for a
man to do any fine carving be must be a
born artist. In this country men learn
only part of trade, but where came
from young man ia obliged to learn his
trade from beginning to end
my father was turner to the king of
Prussia, and SO, you see, he must have been
fine artist Ny brother and myself were
brought up in the art Of carving, and INV
brother was the finest carver ever saw.
either in meerschaum or wood. wish you
could see some examples Of his work. How.
ever, will show you some specimens of
carving that have made, and try and tell
you what you want to know.
SOAKING THE MEERscHAUM.
when an order comes for pipe some
times have to look through an entire box
to find piece OF meerschaum that will suit
the design wish to make lthen soak the
piece In cold water until 1t sinks, which
will take from fifteen to twenty minutes.
then saw the block as near as possible to
the size required, SO as not to waste the
meerschaum, and rough out the pipe with
q knife. Placing the block on the lathe
cut the plain part Of the pipe, and bore thu
stem to the bowl. II the pipe is to be carved
lay it away until thoroughly dried.
"The meerschaum has to be hard in order
to carve it. When the carving is completed
the pipe is boiled In beeswax and then
polished. After the amber stem has been
inserted the pipe Is finished and ready for
the customer, 1t Is not generally knows,
but meerschaum pipe would never color
20 beautifully if it were not boiled in wax.
AN ordinary meerschaum pipe can be
made in three days, but il it is to be carved
OF course no specified time can be stated.
An artist might be many weeks, or even
months. on single pipe"
do you have many orders for elaborate
designs3"
mot SO many as used to have years ago.
! suppose II had nice store down town |
should get more orders for fine work. But |
Americans who can aford to pay several |
hundred dollars for beautiful piece Of |
faeefschaum carving will, as a rule, buy is
abroad, oftentimes as q souvenir Of some |
country which they have visited. have
been In this country over twenty years, and
q first worked for the largest meerschaum
uealer In New York A first class artist /
can carve meerschaum into almost any CON.
eaiXable design,