Italian Estates: Ardor Urano Fantasy Bent Egg with Silver (DR) (2008) Tobacco Pipe

Ardor fashions particularly whimsical pipe shapes, as evidenced by this bent Egg. The tall bowl boasts a subtle forward cant and an easy taper from its plump, slightly lifted heel to its tauter rim. In typical Italian neoclassical style, the bowl holds most of the visual weight within the composition, overshadowing the slender build of the shank-and-stem arrangement. The shank and stem strike a reserved S-curve out back that adds a touch of fluidity to the pipe in profile and encourages a comfortable smoking posture from which to enjoy the bowl's deep chamber. It's dressed the dark and craggy Urano rustication, save for the rim and a trim band around the shank end, which are both left smooth and stained a lighter hue for contrast. A sterling silver accent along the stem base really pops against the dark complexion of the stummel and provides a dose of flash to the pipe in profile.