Sandblasted Panel Lovat (S2) (4x Maxima) Tobacco Pipe

Rendering so large a briar in an artful manner can be no doubt a difficult task, its sheer mass and measurements threatening to overwhelm the design, leaving it looking simplistic and brutish. Giancarlo's Ser Jacopo workshop, however, has real experience producing these "Maximas", and there's a reason they're amongst the most sought-after in the world of extra-large briars. The almost imperceptible taper of this lovat's shank does (subtle) wonders for its visual balance, while both the sharpness of the transition and the immensity of the bowl are softened by the gestural curve of the underside, both as it effects the profile and as it leads into the lines of the panels, which themselves help break up the substantial form into smaller, more manageable pieces.

- Eric N. Squires