Misc. Estates: Peter Matzhold Smooth Bent Dublin (1D) Tobacco Pipe

Austrian artisan Peter Matzhold is known for his contemporaneous renderings of shape-chart classics, with this bent Dublin being a prime example of his ability to tweak old-school shapes to better fit the modern world. The form's characteristic flared rim and steady downward taper are present but rendered with a subtlety that keeps the focus on the bowl's Pot-like stoutness and breadth. The lifted heel is encircled by a wrapping ridgeline that provides a structural soundness to the base of the bowl, further enforcing the muscular shaping on display. The trim shank-and-stem arrangement curls out of the low-set transition and provides a sense of fluidity to the composition, contrasting against the bowl's brawny construction in profile. Matzhold is known for shaping in order to maximize the potential of any given block of briar, and that remains true with this piece, which is finished in a warm, traditional smooth finish that highlights fine strands of flame grain about the bowl.