Dino da Campione

Dino da Campione was the artist's name of wood sculpturer and pipe maker Lorenzo Airaghi, who had his workshop in a village named Campione in Lombardia - oh, there are several places of this name in that region...

His pipes, predominantly leaning on the classic shapes, are supposed to have been of finest style. Sandro Pertini, Italy's beloved former Prime Minister, is listed among his long time customers. Airaghi used snails as symbols for grading his pipes.

Around the end of the 1970's, so an Italian pipe friend reported, he came once again to Airaghi's house, whom he described as very sociable. The son of the house opened and asked unfriendly what he wanted. The visitor answered he wanted to buy a pipe but Airaghi Jr. bawled him out the father was sick and he mustn't be annoyed in any way. E basta!

As it seems, ever since that no one heard of Lorenzo Airaghi again.

The Galeria Vittorio Emanuele II. in Milano exhibits wood sculptures of Lorenzo Airaghi's father.