Rinaldo: Triade Bent Dublin with Silver (1) (YYYY) (Titania) Tobacco Pipe

This is quite an interesting piece from the Rinaldo brothers: a bent Dublin like none I have ever seen from them before. Now, Rinaldo have produced their fair share of Dublin renditions in the past, but this Freehand-style piece is singular in that respect, as it displays aspects of floral design, coupled with fluid, sweeping lines and a soft, supple curvature that renders the silhouette of this pipe unmistakable. The shank of this piece is lengthy, dipping and then turning upward at the transition, the heel and bowl following suit, with the former lifting before terminating in a pronounced ridge. The bowl rises quite high and flares dramatically to the rim, though the rim itself is dipped, and the effect is like that of a blooming flower, the petals of briar coming to two sharp points at the fore and aft. The curvature of the lines that cause this flare is not only stylish but comfortable, the one making up the transition perfect for draping a thumb, and the one on the front end wonderful to wrap one's fingers around. A trim band of silver at the shank end leads to a lithe saddle stem, adding contrast to the deep ruby stain of the finish, all culminating in an excellently stylized bent Dublin from one of Italy's most well respected workshops.