"The French showed themselves to be worthy of victory, but the Russians showed themselves worthy of being invincible" -Napoleon Bonaparte. Measuring 7 1/2 inches long, 5 inches tall and 3 3/4 inches wide, the body of the pipe is, with sole exception of the bowl plug, made from one piece of attractively carved natural meerschaum, depicting a French cavalryman charging a pair of Russian horsemen, with the head of his horse doubling as a vented bowl plug, with silver fittings at the joint. The cavalryman can be seen drawing a pistol with his left hand and thrusting at the horseman to his right, missing both man and horse, while overrunning the second horseman. Meanwhile the horseman to the right has struck true, driving his sword up to the hilt in the Frenchman's right breast, sending it out his left side below the ribcage in what is no doubt a fatal blow. The underside of the pipe shows a light floral pattern, with the sides and rear done in a basket weave design. The rear of the pipe is capped with a floral and checker engraved silver cap with an octagonal neck for the stem, which is horn with stag and ebony accents, 8 1/2 inches long leading to an ebony and horn bit with woven tube and multicolored tassels, 10 1/2 inches long. The body of the pipe shows the distinct meerschaum patina, lighter on the underside, with the remainder turned a deep mixed orange, transitioning to a reddish brown at the plug, and the level of detail is superb, down to individual accents on the saddle blankets and the trim of the Russian's jackets and hats.

Excellent, with a small bit of replacement material for the reins on the plug, and minor handling marks on the meerschaum. The silver is excellent, with a dark patina, deepest around the neck. The stem and bit are good, with wear on the bit from use and a few minor cracks and chips on the horn and ebony parts. All together an excellent pipe, and a top notch demonstration of the carver's art with a spectacular military scene.