Manduela: Smooth Bulldog with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Immediately recognized as the work of Manduela Riger-Kusk, this style of Bulldog hints at the Danish carver's tutelage under Poul Ilsted — both the crisp underside of the diamond shank extending into the heel and the tapered panels along the lower bowl being stylistic cues employed by Ilsted. While aspects of her mentor are evident in her style, Manduela has, however, curated her own aesthetic and conventions, this style of Bulldog being a stunning blend of traditional Danish minimalism and striking, clean-cut, modernist style. Every line comprising this piece has been intentionally and expertly oriented: No line is out of place. From the lines of the shank to those of the beadline and rim, the horizontal axis is maintained and everything remains parallel, accentuating the form's sleekness and interrupted only by the vertical flare and taper of the bowl. Covered in gorgeous grain, the stummel is coated in one of Manduela's ruby-tinged, auburn stains, complemented by the creamy hues of horn at the stem base.