Il Duca: Smooth Freehand with Silver (C) Tobacco Pipe

Il Duca's Max Rimensi is known for putting his own creative artistry to classic pipe shapes, often contemporizing them in the process. His pieces embrace shaping cues from various schools of design, with Danish and Italian influences regularly seen.

It isn't often that we see a Freehand from the Italian carver, nor does he often accent his pipes with silver, making this piece a bit of a rarity and a welcome sight. Marked by an asymmetrical, sloping rim with a pronounced upward curl at its fore, the Dublin-like, flaring bowl seems poised for take-off. The transition is tucked a bit, while the languid sweep of the heel and gestural uptick of the round shank invoke Danish design cues. A silver inlay on the shank face lends support and further elegance, with the hand-cut, ebony-hued vulcanite stem lends tasteful contrast. This piece is wearing one of Max's handsome auburn contrast stains, highlighting a lively array of tight-knit flame grain around the bowl, while dense sprinkles of birdseye envelop the rim. This is a fine example of the artisan's creativity and keen eye for shaping to emphasize the briar's grain to the fullest.