Keresaspa: Difference between revisions

Keresaspa (Persian: گرشاسپ; Latin: ''Kərəsāspa'') pipes are made by Saeed ‘Keresaspa’ Nazarli (b. 1991), an Iranian pipemaker living in Tehran. Keresaspa is the nickname that he goes by, and the name given to his pipes; it is a transliteration of the name of a an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Garshasp ancient Persian mythological figure], which is itself an [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avestan Avestan] word meaning ‘he with the slender horses.’ While there are clear Scandinavian influences in Kerasaspa pipes, both in their aesthetics and in their attention to the intricacies of function, there is a distinctive Persian aspect to their presentation, one that is likely to intrigue Western pipe smokers. It is not only the name 'Keresaspa' that has its origins in Middle-Eastern history and culture; the grades he assigns to his pipes - Ishtar, Shamash, and Seen - all denote deities or symbols from its antiquity; some of the design choices in his pipes are inspired by the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_architecture architecture of the Achaemenid empire]; the certificate that accompanies his pipes displays an elaborate rendition of one of the mythological battles of the Zoroastrian [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Avesta ''Avesta'',]; Keresaspa pipes are dated using the Old Persian solar calendar; and the 'Keresaspa' stamp was designed by an Iranian master calligrapher. Keresaspa lives with his wife, who also makes pipes under the Avestan name [[Atin]].<ref>The information for this page was provided to the author by Keresaspa.</ref>

Keresaspa pipes are stamped with four digits indicating the year that they were made. However, Keresaspa uses the [https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Achaemenid_Empire#Culture Old Persian] Mithraic calendar, which is different to the Gregorian calendar many pipe smokers are used to. For example, the Gregorian year 2023 is the Mithraic year 7761. The date stamp on a Keresaspa pipe is followed by its serial number.