Italian Estates: Radice Rind Bent Egg (2023) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Hearty of form and strikingly stylized, this bent Egg from Radice features a full-bodied bowl with a low mass and taper toward the rim for a voluptuous in-hand feel. The shank here lifts out of the wide transition in a stance reminiscent of the Hawkbill, its aquiline curve continued through the vibrant yellow acrylic stem as the pair make a continuous taper to the button. Up front, the bowl stands atop a pronounced heel that extends below the transitional area and forms a belly-like waist set quite low, its rounded shape leading into walls which taper comfortably to the flat rim. This piece is dressed in the workshop's dark, ruby-toned Rind rustication, contrasted richly by both the bright stem and the rim's smooth finish.

Luigi Radice was born in 1939 and began his career working with briar in 1961, finding employment at the venerable Castello workshop. While working for the now legendary brand, Luigi met Giuseppe Ascorti, and the two left together in 1968 to found Caminetto, where he stayed for 12 years, before departing to establish Radice in 1980. With help from his son, Gianluca, and his father, Paolo, Luigi began producing pipes in a striking neoclassical style which quickly amassed acclaim from enthusiasts of such stylized works. Luigi was later joined by his other son, Marzio, and the family-run workshop has since become known not just for their unique take on the neoclassical style of pipe making, but their singular accenting and finishing techniques.