Kai Nielsen: Smooth Bent Brandy (Jewel of Denmark) (C) Tobacco Pipe

Born in 1951 in Vordingborg, Denmark to renowned artisan Viggo Nielsen, Kai Nielsen got his start in the pipe world at an early age by working in the Bari pipe factory as a teenager for pocket money. The factory was founded by his father, and at 21, Kai began to work there full time, further honing his skills as a pipe maker before breaking into the craft of artisan pipe making. A C-graded Jewel of Denmark piece, this bent Brandy is representative of some of Nielsen's best work, presenting with a strikingly sinuous build that sees a trim shank paired to a lengthy stem. This combination of shank and stem lend the composition a lovely posture for jaw-hanging, and the Reuleaux triangle shape of their outline keeps things looking interesting, balancing the visual weight of the bowl quite well. The stem's half-saddle shaping is quite nice, and its paneled shaping at the flanks offsets the plump, rotund silhouette of the bowl, with the low-set waist's roundness offering plenty of comfort in the hand. Tapering to the domed, inward-sloping rim, the walls of this bowl additionally urge forward, keeping things dynamic throughout and providing plenty of room to showcase streaks of flame and straight grain beneath Nielsen's deep mahogany stain.