Il Duca: Sandblasted Pot (B) Tobacco Pipe

Max Rimensi, the talented artisan behind Il Duca pipes, is remarkably resourceful when it comes to transitioning between the different schools of design. He often takes a classic shape and renders it more modern, reassessing it in a more contemporaneous manner, whether through stem material, design, or accent.

Offering a juxtaposition of aesthetics, the Italian carver has combined a stout, broadly rounded and muscular Pot bowl with a streamlined, pencil-thin shank and tapering stem. The starkly contrasting proportions between bowl and shank hint at Italian neoclassic design and display a lightweight, graceful elegance in profile. This pipe is further enlivened by one of Max's modern, signature contrast-stained sandblasts, the lighter, ochre tones integrated with dark brown hues, highlighting handsome growth ring patterns. Another example of outstanding craftsmanship and flourishing finish by Il Duca.