Danish Estates: S. Bang Smooth Bent Egg (1032) (2010) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Renowned carvers Per Hansen and Ulf Noltensmeier retired from the S. Bang workshop in 2019, leaving behind a portfolio of stunning pipes that offer superlative smoking properties and are crafted according to Danish design style and showcase handsome grain. This bent Egg from 2010 is informed by those stellar qualities, featuring a hearty, forward-ebbing bowl characterized by a gently sloping rim, lifting heel and plump, supple curves. Two pronounced ridgelines descend the fore and lower left flank, disappearing at the transition and forming a disc-like panel similar to the Blowfish, while the triangular-shaped shank is also bracketed along the underside by ridgelines that seemingly dissolve into the heel. This piece is an exercise in refined minimalism, balancing more crisp lines than is typical for Danish pipes along with sinuous contours. The vulcanite, hand-cut stem presents a stylish adornment at its base that flicks upward, its shaping seamlessly matching that of the shank and making for a striking, playful silhouette. This piece is wearing a beautiful auburn contrast stain, revealing another reason S. Bang pipes are so beloved: the display of stunning grain. The flanks of both bowl and shank are saturated in dense flame grain, with whorls of birdseye populating the underside. Organic, dynamic and voluptuous in hand, this S. Bang is certain to be the centerpiece of a discerning collector's assemblage of pipes and it's presented here unsmoked, certainly a rarity.