Benni Jorgensen: Smooth Calabash with Amber (Swan) Tobacco Pipe

While the characteristic sweeping gesture of Benni Jorgensen's pipes is well known, when it comes to his Calabash renditions, he tends to amplify the sinuosity a bit, to my eye. The result is a form that hearkens to the natural gourd of the shape's original incarnation, while emphasizing the best a given block of briar has to offer. Here, he's done all that, while also bolstering the shape's inherent organicism, and likewise its elegance to boot.

Making use of ultra-fine, beautifully-coaxed licks of flame on all flanks, the eye is guided to a broad, domed rim fashioned from none other than genuine, natural amber. The mineral has here been stabilized in a polymer resin, ensuring it will be especially resistant to damage, while also likely still having the potential to take on color. The multi-hued warmth of the rim cap pairs beautifully with the smoldering tones of the briar itself, and in silhouette, the cap is artfully balanced by one of Benni's sculpturally stepped saddle stems. An awesome piece.