Smooth Tomato with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

Of the pipe makers in the Ivarsson dynasty, Nanna's work draws the most heavily on Danish contemporary design. Like much that has been created within that design movement, her pipes demand that the eye take in the composition as a whole, and not merely the sum of discrete parts. While the pipe itself might not be overtly simple, at its heart there is a simplicity. In harmony with that vision, whatever the final shape, a clean, boldly stated line central to the overarching composition shines through. At the core of this piece is an elegant, painfully beautiful curve augmenting the exquisite briar surrounding it. It is this core that allows the shell of the composition to exhibit a mild asymmetry while being pleasingly grounded. It is this core that allows for a seamless transition from the flattened sphere of the bowl to the half moon of the shank. As one moves laterally around the pipe, there is excellent continuity to the grain, both on the walls of the bowl, as well as the flow up both sides of the shank. As beautiful as the birdseye of the rim appears in the photographs, it is more vibrant up close and personal. The Ivarsson name is in good hands.

--Bear Graves