Kent Rasmussen: Sandblasted Volcano with Masur Birch Tobacco Pipe

Quite different from other iterations we've seen from him recently, this Volcano from Kent Rasmussen forgoes the Danish master's usual sculptural, sinuous style for something much more powerful in its silhouette. While the previous examples we've seen have gone with a more graceful, often elongated approach, this particular variation is far more compact and tight-knit. The stoutness of the bowl itself permeates through the entire composition, with the transition lent an extra bit of substance and the abrupt, upward reaching shank shaped to match. The result is a muscular, powerful aesthetic in profile, yet one not without Kent's keen detail in execution. The definition brought out by his crisp sandblast is remarkable, and the lines, ridges, and beveled face of the underside are both well preserved and crucial to the feel of the composition. It's these little details that really set Kent apart as one of the Danish greats — details which he's really just nailed in this piece.