Il Duca: Sandblasted Rhodesian (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, Italian, and Anglo-French pipe-making and channels those disparate design styles through his personal creative prism, producing work that's singularly his own. This Rhodesian is a fetching example of Rimensi's craftsmanship, showcasing his ability to render shape-chart standards in unique and novel ways. Marked by a lithe curvature, this piece boasts a dynamic and fluid outline, one that sees a continuously tapering shank-and-stem arrangement supporting a wide, stout bowl. Said bowl comprises thick, insulating walls that stand atop a lifted heel and flare outward to a broad, beadline-wrapped waistline. From there, the walls take on a gentle taper and terminate at a flat rim that overlooks a modest tobacco chamber. The aforementioned lifted heel lends the bowl a surging posture that's accentuated by the sinuous bend of the shank and stem. The totality of the shape's fluid poise is contrasted by a rugged black and ochre sandblast that highlights handsome grain throughout the stummel.