Danish Estates: Jess Chonowitsch Sandblasted Billiard with Silver Tobacco Pipe

The name Jess Chonowitsch carries great respect in the pipe-making world, respect that he's more than earned throughout the course of his nearly 60-year-long career. Educated by some of the finest artisans in Denmark, Chonowitsch's style is renowned for its careful engineering, elegant shaping, sense of balance, and refined finishing work, all aspects that appear deceptively simple. This Billiard by Jess Chonowitsch is a handsome showcase of his deft handiwork, the composition exuding a timeless appeal with its well-measured proportions and clean line work. Standing tall with an upright posture, the bowl shows a subtle plumpness about its base, with its walls tapering slightly as they reach from the heel toward the rim, making for a figure that fits comfortably in the hand. Out back, the shank shows a more subdued presence with its relative compactness, further accentuated by a broad silver accent band adorning the junction as it meets a sleek stretch of tapered stem, the arrangement lending this piece a streamlined profile. A crisp, chocolate-hued sandblast dresses the stummel, accentuating the briar's natural grain and offering a wealth of rugged texture for the hand to appreciate.