Kent Rasmussen: Sandblasted Freehand with Masur Birch Tobacco Pipe

Kent Rasmussen leverages his background in architecture and modern art to produce some of the most distinctive pipes in all of Denmark. His style reflects the Danish school's penchant for clean, efficient lines and supple curves, though Rasmussen renders all of his shapes through his personal creative prism, making his work unparalleled in the medium. This stylish Freehand displays Rasmussen's aptitude for fluid shaping and muscular proportions, presenting a broad, full-bodied bowl that stands at the fore of an upturned shank and a steeply curved saddle stem.

The bowl here is highly sculptural, its squat, thick-walled frame defined by broad flanks that sweep upward from the heel toward the aft of the rim. Crisp ridgleines frame these flanks and lend the bowl, at least in profile, a rearward-ebbing posture, with the totality of the bowl seemingly cresting toward the aft of the composition. The bowl's wave-like appearance naturally leads the eye toward the transition, which makes the start of the shank's steady upward flare toward the stem. Like the bowl, the shank drags the eye further toward the pipe's aft, where the saddle stem, and its accompanying accent of Masur Birch, completes the ensemble. Masur Birch is one of Rasmussen's favorite accenting materials, and it's easy to see why when viewed here: the hardwood's smooth complexion and vibrant grain lend a touch of contrast to the rest of the stummel, while keeping the pipe's color palette fairly cohesive. Dressing this piece is a crisp, terracotta-hued sandblast that highlights gorgeous growth rings across the bowl's flanks.