Danish Estates: Peter Heding Smooth Horn (Gold) Tobacco Pipe

Something of a contrast to his more evocative, biologically inspired designs, here Peter Heding has presented us with a minimalist, sweeping take on the old Danish Horn — one which follows a clean, continuous taper from end to end. The bowl itself is more upright in its arrangement than is often the case with the Horn shape, but the silhouette suffers nothing from it, as Peter's kept the arc of the profile very well intact through a slightly elongated transition and a slight upward curl to the pinched, oval shank. Aside from the elegant shaping of the briar, Peter's simply nailed the grain orientation on this piece, with columns of cross grain flowing down either flank and seas of birdseye covering the convex fore and aft of the bowl, as well as the entire underside and top of the shank. It's beautiful work, and certainly deserving of Heding's prestigious "Gold" grade.