**RARE** Alfred Dunhill Montgolfier 2021 White Spot County Briar Pipe (21 of 40)

• Group 4 Apple (4101)
• Overall Length: 137mm
• Overall Height: 43mm
• Bowl Height: 43mm
• Bowl Diameter: 37mm
• Bore: 20mm
• Weight: 34.5g
• Prestigious Leather Bound Book Case
• Hallmarked 80g Silver Tamper
• Limited to 100 pieces worldwide
• 21 out of 40 County

The Montgolfier Brothers The Montgolfier Brothers were born in Annony in the South of France in the 1740's. Both paper manufacturers by trade but became famous as the inventors of the hot air balloon and the early pioneers of aviation. During 1782 Joseph Montgolfier had observed embers lifting from the fire into the air, which gave him the idea for an experiment, he constructed a box made from very light wood and covered on 5 sides by taffeta fabric but leaving the bottom side open, when he lit it, with crumpled paper as the heat source, the box lifted into the air until it hit the ceiling. Encouraged by his brother Jacques, together they built the first balloon from sack cloth and layers of paper. Using hay and wool for the fire the box flew for almost a mile.

On 19 September 1783, the Aérostat Réveillon was launched from the royal palace in Versailles in front of King Louis XVI of France, Queen Marie Antoinette and the royal court. To test the effect of the higher atmospheres on living creatures, the balloon carried the first living passengers: a sheep named Mont-au-ciel (“Climb-to-the-sky”), a duck, and a rooster. The flight lasted approximately eight minutes, covered 2 miles, and obtained an altitude of about 460m after which it safely landed. As the animals had survived this flight unscathed, the king authorised flights with humans. For this purpose, Jacques-Étienne built a 60,000 cubic foot balloon, about 70 feet tall and 46 feet in diameter. The paper used was adorned with rich decorations of gold figures on a blue background, including fleur-de-lis and the 12 zodiac signs in the upper section, suns with Louis XVI's face in the centre interlaced with the royal monogram in the central section and red & blue drapery and golden eagles at the base of the balloon. On 15 October 1783, Jacques-Étienne Montgolfier was the first human to lift off earth in a tethered test flight. Thus, the age of human flight had started.

The Montgolfier White Spot Pipe The Montgolfier pipe is a classic Apple shape in Group 4 sizing - reminiscent of the shape of a balloon. It is fitted with an engraved Sterling silver band and each pipe is accompanied by a solid, weighty Sterling Silver tamper showing in finest detail a practical interpretation of the Aérostat Réveillon. The highly collectable Montgolfier pipes & tampers are presented in a prestigious leather-bound book and come with a numbered and hand-signed limited edition certificate.

Limited Edition Only 40 pieces of the County model have been produced worldwide, which is much lower than normal limited editions making this a true collectors piece

ONE OFF PIPE: This is a one off pipe and the pipe in the picture is the exact pipe you will receive. Please not that colour varies depending on your computer monitor and may not replicate the colour exactly.