Tom Eltang: Smooth Natural Bent Egg Tobacco Pipe

Tom Eltang is one of Denmark's most well-respected artisans, his style often typified by works that lean heavily on the Danish Functionalist aesthetic, prioritizing clean lines and functionality above any extra ostentations. The bent Egg is an often sinuous shape, one whose curvature through the rear does well to balance the supple contours of the bowl up front. Here, Eltang stays true to the shape's archetypal silhouette, with a fluidly curved shank and stem combination and a plump bowl that boast a remarkably light weight in concert. The transition is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it's been subtly cinched near the flanks to amplify some of the bowl's curves before giving way to a curling shank that lifts and tapers slightly as it reaches its end. A demurely curved black vulcanite stem completes the aft-side combination and lends this piece an excellent smoking posture, its base carved to include a broad expansion ring that pulls some of the visual weight away from the bowl. Said bowl stands atop a sweeping heel and grows to a broad, low-set waistline before its walls take on an arcing taper to a gently domed rim, all the while possessed of a jaunty forward cant that makes this pipe all the more dynamic. Dressing this pipe is a warm, light, natural finish, the smooth surfaces of the stummel showcasing flame grain flowing through the flanks of the shank and wrapping around the walls of the bowl, while the underside reveals swirling pools of birdseye.