Meerschaum Pipe Carved With A Bust Of Madame De Pompadour, Guyot Collection, 20th Century

A carved meerschaum pipe depicting the bust of Madame de Pompadour**, her breasts bare, from the private collection of Gilbert Guyot*, dating from the 20th century. This pipe is in good overall condition, in its original state. It comes directly from the collection of the Parisian pipe maker Gilbert Guyot. We have other pipes from this collection for sale on this site. Please note: it does not have a stem, and there are original flaws in the meerschaum, soiling, scratches, and signs of age, see photos. * Jeanne-Antoinette Poisson, Marquise de Pompadour and Duchess of Menars, known as Madame de Pompadour, was a mistress of King Louis XV, born on December 29, 1721, in Paris and died on April 15, 1764, at the Palace of Versailles. Introduced to court through connections, she caught the eye of King Louis XV and became his official mistress for six years, from 1745 to 1751. Louis XV had the Petit Trianon and the Château de Bellevue built for her as residences, and gifted her the Pompadour estate, thus granting her the title of marquise and nobility. Her bourgeois origins drew criticism from the aristocracy. From the 1750s onward, the marquise was no longer the king's mistress, but she retained influence as a confidante and friend. In this capacity, she encouraged the development of the Place Louis XV—now the Place de la Concorde—and the establishment of the Sèvres porcelain factory, near her Bellevue residence. Madame de Pompadour had a particular appreciation for architecture and the decorative arts. In 1753, she acquired the Hôtel d'Évreux in Paris, now known as the Élysée Palace. The Marquise was also interested in literature and encouraged the publication of the first two volumes of Diderot and d'Alembert's Encyclopedia. In poor health, she died of pulmonary congestion at the age of only 42. ** Gilbert Guyot. Author of two essential books for French pipe enthusiasts, "Le Pipier de Paris" (The Paris Pipe Maker) in 1984 and "Pipiers français, Histoire et Traditions" (French Pipe Makers, History and Traditions) in 1992, he began his career at the age of 14 in 1961 in the workshop of his father, Henri Guyot, a Parisian pipe maker who had himself succeeded the Parisian pipe maker Auguste Goltsché at 7 Avenue de Clichy in Paris in 1937. Auguste Goltsché was the son of François Goltsché, a pipe turner from Vienna, who settled in Paris in 1883. He successively bought several pipe shops in Paris, including L'Indien and then L'Oriental. His son Auguste opened two shops, one in the Passage des Panoramas and the other at 7 Avenue de Clichy. Upon his death in 1937, H. Guyot took over the shop at 7 Avenue de Clichy, under the name "Bloc d'Ambre" (a name that was abandoned when the shop reopened in 1945). Besides writing two extremely interesting books, Gilbert Guyot became a pipe maker in 1961 with his father, Henri; together, they crafted very fine pipes. When his father retired in 1969, he took over the shop, running it until 1995. Gilbert Guyot retired to Trégastel. Height: 11 cm Width: 6.5 cm Reference: F30 1259 All photos are available at: www.antiques-delaval.com