Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Nautilus with Boxwood (D) Tobacco Pipe

An inherently organic shape, the Nautilus reflects its namesake via a broad, flaring bowl and a shank that curls back toward the bowl, often carved with a spiral motif to further its referential shell. Max Rimensi of Il Duca has fashioned several Nautilus renditions over the years, all reflecting similar shaping cues but each uniquely distinct in their exact design, finish, and accents.

In silhouette, this particular example shares a similar posture to the Italian artisan's other iterations: The trumpeting bowl urges forward in profile, yet appears quite squat due to the shank rising almost to the rim, and the flanks pinched for a slender disposition when viewed from above. Where this piece differs most notably from others is that Rimensi didn't carve a spiral motif along the shank's flanks, opting instead for a consistently rounded aesthetic that connects to the bowl's aft. Such shaping creates a bulbous motif at the shank juxtaposed against the steeply angled, forward-most line of the bowl, cutting forward in dynamic display. Dressed in a dark, sandblasted finish, the stummel reveals handsome growth rings across the flanks, except for the rim, which Max stained a natural hue to highlight a smooth array of stunning birdseye. Matching that color palette, this stem has been hand-cut from ebonite, with inlays of boxwood accenting the expansion disc.