Vintage Hand-Carved Demon Face Pipe – 31cm – Soviet Prison Art – Mixed Resin & Wood
Description:
A striking vintage mixed-material character pipe featuring a carved demon/ogre face forming the bowl. The design includes exaggerated features such as raised brows, wide eyes, carved teeth, and a protruding red tongue, giving the piece a dramatic and slightly macabre visual presence.
This pipe is representative of USSR prisoner-made craft, produced circa the 1960s–1970s within correctional workshop settings. Large-scale figural pipes of this type often emphasised bold caricature, expressive faces, and theatrical detailing, combining hand-carved wooden bowls with colourful resin and acrylic stem components. Today, such examples are collected primarily for their sculptural impact and Cold War historical context.
The mid-section of the stem is constructed from stacked acrylic/resin bands in cream, amber, green, and clear tones, while the upper stem features a twisted resin form — a combination typical of mid-20th-century novelty-style pipes and highly effective for display.
Features:
• Era: c. 1960s–1970s
• Origin: USSR (Soviet Union), prisoner-made craft
• Length: approx. 31 cm
• Demon/ogre face figural bowl with carved beard and brows
• Inset green resin eyes, red resin tongue, faux carved teeth
• Multi-band acrylic/resin stem section with clear inset window
• Twisted resin upper stem
• Collectible display pipe (not tested for use)
Construction / Materials:
• Bowl: carved hardwood with hand-tooled facial details
• Eyes / tongue / teeth: resin and acrylic components
• Stem: layered acrylic/resin laminate with sculpted resin extension
• Finish: aged wood with natural patina; polished resin surfaces
Condition:
Good vintage condition with expected wear for age. Small chips, marks, and handling wear present around the face and stem. Resin sections show light scuffing. Not tested for smoking use — offered as a decorative collector’s piece.
Type:
Decorative character pipe / mid-century prison art carving
A bold and expressive Soviet prison art demon-face pipe — a large, visually impactful example of 1970s USSR prisoner-made craftsmanship, ideal for collectors of character pipes, outsider folk art, or Cold War-era curios.
