Nikolay Kozyrev: Smooth Bent Brandy with Horn Tobacco Pipe

Artisan carvers often become fixated on a certain shape and fashion a number of renditions as they gradually fine tune the specifications in search of the perfect form. While the quest for perfection is never to be completely attained, each iteration from a carver moves closer and closer to the ideal. This style of bent Brandy is a shape that Nikolay Kozyrev has returned to a number of times over the years. It's an homage to a Jess Chonowitsch rendition, and like Jess, Kozyrev has continued to carve it, refining and improving it again and again.

Most notably, this voluptuous design is marked by a short overall profile, fitting a good deal of substance and chamber depth into an affably tight-knit, pocket-friendly package. Such proportions highlight the shape's inherent plumpness through the lower bowl and heel, defining the profile by its elegant curves. This particular example has been finish smooth in a light, honey blonde stain, allowing the briar's natural contrast and stunning vertical grain shine through. With a horn mount, it's a beautiful, Danish-style piece, worthy of celebrating Chonowitsch's design.