Kai Nielsen: Smooth Bent Billiard (Jewel of Denmark) (B) Tobacco Pipe

Kai Nielsen's start in the pipe world was quite early, seeing him working in the Bari pipe factory as a teenager. The factory was founded by his father, Viggo Nielsen, who was a respected artisan in his own right, and Kai began working there full time at 21, further honing his skills and becoming an artisan himself. This bent Billiard is a striking iteration of the classic shape and is a part of his superlative Jewel of Denmark line, earning its second highest grade of B. There's an alluring fluidity about this piece that draws the eye to its ample curves and promotes a sense of languid flow through the composition. A wide, softly cheeked transition sees the start of a strikingly upturned stretch of shank that meets a demurely bent stem of black acrylic at a junction accented by a creamy white ring. The tapering silhouette of this stem allows for a consistent undercurve through the slightly lifted heel and its continuation of the shank's upturn through the base enhances the presence of its curves. Atop the heel stands a pert bowl with plump walls that take on a gentle taper to the rim, providing a comfortable presence in hand and offering plenty of intrigue thanks to the rim's slightly scalloped outline. Dressed in a vibrant auburn stain, this piece showcases flame grain which flows evenly through the outline of the shank and wraps around the walls of the bowl, with both the top and underside awash in bountiful birdseye.