Sabina Santos: Smooth Billiard with Silver Tobacco Pipe

If any of Sabina Santos's pieces hint at the Portuguese carver's trips to Denmark and time spent in the workshops of Danish greats, this Billiard screams it. With a slight lift at the heel, taper to the bowl, and a smooth-lined suppleness throughout, this is a Danish-style Billiard through and through. It's also the first Billiard we've received from Santos, proving that she's equally adept at fashioning artisan renditions of the classics as she is at realizing her more Freehand-inclined pieces, such as the Tadpole and her unique Calabash renditions. Rather compact overall and topped with a gently inflated rim, the feel in hand is quite comfortable, and the silver band at the shank-end contrasts brightly against the warm contrast stain, which highlights both cross grain and whorls of birdseye.