Danish Estates: Tonni Nielsen Smooth Bent Billiard Tobacco Pipe

At the age of 16, Tonni Nielsen began his pipe making career at the famed W.Ø. Larsen workshop, where he studied under likes of Teddy Knudsen and Hans "Former" Nielsen. He honed his craft over time and eventually set out to fashion pipes under his own name. This bent Billiard is a fine example of Nielsen's craftsmanship, with his juxtaposing line work on full display. The stocky, rounded bowl stands proudly at the fore of a sinuously bent shank-and-stem arrangement. A consistent undercurve is maintained throughout most of the composition, with the structural lines of the diamond shank easing from the heel of the bowl to the shoulders of the arcing saddle stem. The softness of the bowl is contrasted by the sharply defined diamond shank, yet the shape possesses a gestural curvature that keeps things fluid and light. A dark, smoky smooth finish commends the briar quite nicely and highlights the tight strands of flame grain on either flank of the bowl.