Michael Butera Prima Vera Royal Vintage Classic Bent Brandy with Gold (SB) (B0009) Tobacco Pipe

Michael Butera has been crafting pipes since the '70s, and he has trained many of today's well-known American artisans, including Larry Roush, Steve Weiner, and Michael Frey. Since he produces a limited number of pipes, estate offerings from Butera are a rare treat for collectors, making this offering quite the exciting find. While this bent Brandy possesses the shape's standard broad heel and tapered rim, the walls of the bowl cinch inward on their ascent from one to the other, giving the composition a rather striking and distinctive appearance. There's also a strong sense of fluidity to this piece, thanks to the sweeping, graceful curve that underscores the stummel. The deep bend of the saddle stem only heightens this sense of fluidity, and it also promotes a relaxed smoking posture. The stummel wears a craggy, earthy sandblast that renders the briar's excellent grain in vivid tactile and visual detail, and a band of gold adorns the junction, adding a subtle metallic flash and plenty of luxurious elegance.