Il Duca: Sandblatsed Acorn Sitter with Giraffe Bone (B) Tobacco Pipe

Massimiliano Rimensi of Ferrara, Italy, creates pipes under the name Il Duca in honor of the historical rulers of his native city. He draws inspiration from Danish and Italian pipe making to create a unique style all his own. This Acorn Sitter is a fine example of Rimensi's more eccentric side. The bowl features a bulbous domed rim that tapers suddenly down to a spurred and flattened heel that allows the pipe to sit comfortably upright. A slim round shank arches gracefully upward from the transition, culminating in a flared section capped with a dusky accent of giraffe bone at its junction with a lithely bent vulcanite stem. The Barone-grade stummel is dressed in a stunning dual stain, adding extra emphasis to the ochre rim as it contrasts with the darker heel and shank. The sandblasted finish reveals a wealth of texture, further completed by the stain and shaping to create a pipe with a distinctly organic and natural appeal.