Tom Eltang: Smooth Arne Jacobsen Lamp Pipe (Snail) (M) Tobacco Pipe

Arne Jacobsen has a been an influence of Tom Eltang's work in the past, most notably in the carver's "Arne Jacobsen" straight Dublin design — a take on both the Danish architect's artistic style as well as a riff off the actual pipe he often smoked. Here, though, Tom draws heavily on the designer's Art Deco furniture and consumer products.

This Lamp Pipe's form is two-fold. As a fully functional pipe, it resembles a deeply bent Churchwarden at the end of which lies a generously flared Dublin bowl, with a shank that extends past the transition in a sort of heel spur. The grain is perfectly oriented too: cross grain stacking up each flank as birdseye permeates both fore and aft, leaving crisp striations of straight grain across the rim. When broken down, however, the pipe transforms into a handsome desk lamp, resting upright upon a specially crafted stand. It's a replica of Jacobsen's table lamp design and represents his minimalist and utilitarian style. Said lamp was created by Arne in 1960 for the SAS Royal Hotel in Copenhagen (for which Jacobsen designed every aspect, from the towering building itself all the way down to the hotel's cutlery). With a focus on functionality, the AJ Lamp echoes the striking lines and oblique angles of the designer's Series 3300 furniture, which also features the iconic Egg™ and Swan™ chairs.

While Tom's rendition is obviously not functional as an actual lamp (lacking a light bulb and the necessary electronic specifications), Eltang has taken great care in the details, going as far as to fashion what resembles an "on/off" button at the end of the shank. The design is beautifully simplistic yet is a tour de force in the Danish carver's work, epitomizing Tom's creative genius. It's a wonderful homage to Arne and impressive work from a carver that continues to surpass all expectations, more than deserving of Tom's prestigious "Snail" grade and even rarer "M" designation, denoting particularly exceptional and specially designed pieces.