marTelo: Smooth Jatoba Tobacco Pipe

Named after and inspired by the fruit pods of the jatobazeiro tree in Brazil (Hymenaea courbaril for all you dendrologists out there), the bowl of Gustavo Cunha's Jatobá shape is quite tall and slender proportionally, featuring a Stack-like chamber within and rounded, tapering flanks from rim to heel. It's become a signature design from the Brazilian carver and, along with his pencil-shanked pieces, has come to define Martelo pipes. Each Jatobá design differs slightly in regard to exact bowl shape and general form, and this particular example is the first straight rendition we've received from Cunha — previous versions all having being sinuously bent. By contrast, this Jatobá is sleek and streamlined through the shank and stem, meeting the bowl at defined and angular transition. The angular dynamic calls to mind old-school Danish pipe design, particular certain pieces from Pipe-Dan and, even, Sixten Ivarsson. Meanwhile, the bowl is extra-tall in profile, wrapped by a singular, accenting beadline and housing a chamber of particularly deep and narrow dimensions — such height also perfect for displaying a stunning cross-grain pattern.