Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Horn (B) Tobacco Pipe

Max Rimensi, the Italian carver behind Il Duca pipes, is one of the most versatile artisans working today. Rimensi's stylistic range is truly impressive, and his pipes defy simple categorization, as they reflect shaping cues from various schools of design. This bent Dublin, for instance, displays the elegant line work and fluid curvature most often associated with Danish pipe making, but the bowl, what with its stout insulating walls, muscular flare, and visually domineering presence, evokes the neoclassical characteristics of Italian briars.

This pipe's finish, likewise, is an interesting juxtaposition of opposing elements. While a dark sandblast dresses most of the stummel, revealing concentric ripples of growth rings around the bowl, the rim is smoothly polished and presented in a warm auburn stain that highlights a dazzling display of birdseye. A horn accent along the junction adds another smooth note and vibrant splash of color to the composition, its hues and complexion mirroring the rim and fostering a visual and tactile symmetry at either end of the stummel. Striking, sinuous, and all together artfully constructed, this piece is a truly fetching bit of craftsmanship, and a rather fine example of Rimensi's prowess.