Italian Estates: Ascorti Special Edition Christmas 1992 (2/4) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

One of 200 pipes made for Ascorti's 1992 Christmas series, this collectable bent Apple exemplifies bold Italian shaping. Charmingly plump along the sides, the bowl tapers gradually from a broad base to a taut rim, and as it does, it takes on a low-set waistline that conforms naturally to the hand. Said bowl is paired, then, to a gracefully arcing shank and gently downturned stem, both of which promote an easy jaw-hanging posture. This unique piece wears a craggy rustication with a fumed rim that's common in Italian pipe making. The shank, by contrast, is abbreviated but smoothly stained a traditional chestnut hue and accentuated by a bright band of silver.