Nanna Ivarsson: Smooth Waking Blowfish (Fish) (2321) Tobacco Pipe

No other family has done more for artisan pipe making than the Ivarssons of Denmark. Sixten Ivarsson is widely regarded as the progenitor of artisan pipe making as a whole, his "shape first, drill second" approach allowing for the individual, Freehand shaping and artistic creativity that defines artisan pipes. His son, Lars, followed in his father's footsteps, crafting some of the finest pipes of his time and elevating the reputation of handmade pipes as artistic compositions. Nanna, Sixten's granddaughter, now furthers the Ivarsson legacy, and many praise her as among the best artisan pipe makers in the world.

While some pipe makers enjoy carving a diverse selection of shapes, Nanna prioritizes a select few designs, exploring creative variations and always seeking that ever-elusive combination of perfect briar and flawless shaping, in search of a certain shape's archetypal ideal. One of her most prolific shapes is the Blowfish — as Nanna and the Ivarssons have called it — a design endemic to Danish artisan pipe making and one pioneered by her father. The shape is most universally defined by a teardrop shank, creating a ridgeline along one flank that often extends through the bowl, and Nanna's renditions range from long-shanked versions to more compact, curling forms. The Sleeping Blowfish is one of her signature renditions, and it features a shank that curls forward and connects to the bowl's aft. This Waking Blowfish, however, riffs off of that motif with flourishing style.

Like her Sleeping Blowfish designs, this Waking Fish presents a similarly compact overall length, the dramatic upward curl of the shank and the demure, inset stem reducing the profile considerably. Instead of connecting to the bowl, however, the shank maintains its own separate trajectory, sweeping outward in an arch when viewed from above. From this vantage point, the right side extends further than the left to incorporate asymmetry, and the shaping of the shank as a whole resembles the flowing, wavy tail fin of, say, a Betta fish. The right side of the shank bears a slender panel of plateau along the underside, furthering the asymmetric motif, while the left side comprises a singular ridgeline that flows through the transition and up the left side of the bowl, as is typical of the Blowfish design in general. When viewed in profile, the left side's ridgeline defined the silhouette's curvature, with the top of the shank and the rim's fore curling ever so slightly inward. Imagining those lines continuing through the negative space above the pipe, the trajectory would form a perfect oval, matching the form's undercurve. Such artistry bespeaks Nanna's shaping prowess, able to carve lines that flow perfectly, even in their implied trajectory.

Furthermore, the grain matches the shape beautifully: Vertical grain emanates across the shape, following its dramatic curl as well as the rounded taper of the bowl, and birdseye comprises the shank face, surrounding the mortise and seemingly cupping the stem. Lastly, this piece bears Nanna's Fish stamp, denoting her most superlative work — the same stamp used by her father — and it's complete with a miniature fish figurine and a presentation box to display both sculptures.