Cornelius Manz: Smooth Bent Apple with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Even before Cornelius Mänz received professional training, his pipes were already receiving praise from renowned carvers, such as Bo Nordh and Tom Eltang. This bent Apple is reminiscent of Eltang's work, imbued with the Danish school's soft lines and plateau-topped rim. Here, though, Mänz has added some muscularity to the shank, particularly at the transition, balancing out the form's lithe, gracile nature. The bowl is set high on the transition, accentuating cheeking at the transition, and perching the bowl on the end of the genteel S-curve. It's a playful take on the shank, as the flaring horn shank-end parallels the muscularity at the transition, seamlessly blending the Danish school with a German industrial aesthetic. Said horn comes from an old stock that Cornelius acquired from France, and it's fitted to one of his deftly executed mouthpieces, combining comfort with craftsmanship. For a subtle dose of accenting asymmetry, the crisp plateau at the rim undulates jauntily, contrasting the vertical tongues of flame grain across the bowl. Amazing work.