Alfred Dunhill The White Spot Zodiac Pipe 2020 'Year of the Rat' - Cumberland 3407 Group 3 - Pipe 163 of 219

CHINESE ZODIAC PIPE

Very rare Limited Edition: Alfred Dunhill Zodiac 'Year of the Rat' 2020 pipe - Cumberland 3407

An exceptional opportunity for collectors and connoisseurs: the Alfred Dunhill The White Spot Zodiac Pipe 2020 'Year of the Rat' . This pipe is part of an extremely limited annual series celebrating the Chinese zodiac sign of the Rat, known for its intelligence and wealth.

Unique Details and Collectible Rarity

• Series: Limited Edition Zodiac 'Year of the Rat' (2020).

• Numbering: Pipe 163 of 218 (limited for global market).

• Added Rarity: Out of respect for Chinese culture, where the number '4' is considered unlucky, all pipes with the number '4' in the sequence were removed from production. This reduced the number of pipes produced to only 178 , with 177 actually released for sale, making it much rarer.

• Model: Cumberland 3407 (Group 3 Bent Billiard Shape).

• Finish: Deep, dark sandblasting typical of the line, enhanced by the contrast with the mouthpiece.

• Mouthpiece: Cumberland (red/brown and black marbled ebonite) with engraved silver band , a hallmark of luxury and rarity.

Conditions and Complete Equipment

The 3407 Bent Billiard shape offers an extremely comfortable and balanced smoke that is light to hold in the mouth.

• Condition: Used and carefully run-in . It has been professionally cleaned and sanitized to maintain its historical and collectible integrity, ready for smoking or display.

• Accessories: The pipe is sold with its original leather case (as pictured) and a rolled Certificate of Authenticity , confirming its status as a Dunhill limited edition.

A piece of fine English engineering and craftsmanship, an investment for the future and an immediate pleasure for the present.

(Please note that, although broken-in, the pipe has been professionally and meticulously cleaned to ensure maximum hygiene and quality.)

Curiosity

THE TWELVE ANIMALS

In Chinese astrology, there are twelve animals that represent twelve different types of characters or personalities. The animals The zodiacal astrologers are, in successive order, the rat, the ox, the tiger, the rabbit, the dragon, the serpent, the horse, the sheep (or ram or goat), the monkey, the rooster, the dog, and the pig. Therefore, the rabbit is the fourth animal in each twelve-year calendar cycle.

There are various stories and versions explaining why these animals are depicted. One legend says that a competition was held to decide which animals would report to the Jade Emperor.

The cat and the mouse were the worst swimmers in the animal kingdom. Although they were poor swimmers, they were both intelligent. They decided that the best and fastest way to cross the river was to jump on the ox's back. The ox, being a naive and good-natured animal, agreed to carry them across. However, overcome by fierce competitiveness, the mouse decided that to win, he had to do something and promptly pushed the cat into the water. For this reason, the cat has never forgiven the mouse and even hates water. After the ox crossed the river, the mouse jumped ahead and reached the bank first, claiming first place in the competition.

Soon after, the strong ox arrived, and was named the second animal of the zodiac. After the ox, the tiger arrived, panting, explaining to the Emperor how difficult it was to cross the river with the strong currents constantly pushing it downstream. But with its mighty strength, it reached the bank and was named the third animal of the cycle.

Suddenly, a splash was heard in the distance, and the rabbit arrived. He explained how he had crossed the river: by nimbly leaping from rock to rock. Halfway across, he almost lost the race, but the rabbit was lucky enough to grab a floating log that later carried him to shore. Thus, he became the fourth animal in the zodiac cycle.

In fifth place came the dragon, flying and breathing fire into the air. Naturally, the Emperor was very curious to know why a strong, flying creature like the dragon couldn't reach the finish line first. The mighty dragon explained that he had to stop and make it rain to help all the people and creatures of the earth, and so he was held back a bit. Then, on his way to the finish line, he saw a small, helpless rabbit clinging to a log, so he did the good deed and blew some of the poor creature's breath so it could land on the shore. The Emperor was very pleased with the dragon's actions and inserted him into the zodiac cycle.

As soon as he did so, a galloping sound was heard and the horse appeared. Hidden on the horse's hoof was the snake, whose sudden appearance frightened the horse, making him step back and giving the snake 6th place while the horse took 7th.

Not long afterward, the ram, the monkey, and the rooster reached the shore. These three creatures helped each other get there. The rooster spotted a raft and took the other two animals with him. Together, the ram and the monkey cleared the weeds, pulled and pulled, and finally brought the raft to shore. With their combined efforts, the Emperor was very pleased and promptly named the ram the eighth creature, the monkey the ninth, and the rooster the tenth.

The eleventh animal is the dog. His explanation for the delay—even though he was supposed to be the best swimmer among the others—was that he needed a ¹ A good dip after a long day, and the cool river water was too tempting. Because of this, he almost didn't make it to the finish line.

Just as the Emperor was about to close the games, a small pig grunted and squeaked. The pig had gotten hungry during the race, promptly stopped for a feast, and then fell asleep. After its nap, the pig continued the race and was named the twelfth and final animal of the zodiac cycle. The cat finished too late (thirteenth) to earn a place in the calendar and vowed to be the mouse's enemy forever.