German Estates: Hermann Hennen Sandblasted Wasp with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

The Wasp is an artisan design most notably attributed to German carver Wolfgang Becker, and this piece from fellow German artisan Hermann Hennen honors Becker's signature shape. The form is characterized by a raised transition that distinguishes the bowl from the shank, and the latter aspect most often reveals a dramatic curve and flare toward the stem. Such dramatic shaping is immediately evocative of the design's namesake, and this rendition features a rounded, Egg-like bowl that conforms wonderfully to wrapped fingers and showcases cascading growth rings across its surface. The shank, then, presents a playful upward curl, and it's topped by an accent of boxwood, complementing the stummel's tanblast but with a slightly lighter hue for subtle contrast.