Il Duca: Partially Sandblasted Volcano (B) Tobacco Pipe

Whether fashioning plump, muscular designs or sleek, pencil-shanked forms, Max Rimensi of Il Duca often crafts pipes with a definitive sense of fluidity and curvature. The Ferrara-based artisan is well regarded for his a sleek and gestural design style, and this Volcano exhibits the sinuous line work and elegant, svelte nature seen across Rimensi's portfolio. Sometimes the Volcano reveals a crisp, almost architectural disposition, with an upward taper and firmly defined heel, but this Il Duca version takes a decidedly more organic and supple approach. The bowl does taper toward the rim but with a rounded aspect that adds a softer aesthetic, and the heel — though still demarcated by the shape's defining, lower ridgeline — is likewise rounded to match the rest of the piece's genteel curves. The dramatically upturned shank gives way to a bent stem for a deeply bent profile and gestural S-curve, promoting a comfortable smoking posture. The stummel is dressed in a striking, dual finish: The heel is smooth and walnut-stained to highlight whorls of birdseye, while the rest of stummel wears a dark-stained sandblast.