Ser Jacopo: Domina 2022 Spongia Sandblasted Bent Apple with Silver (S3) (D) (35) Tobacco Pipe

The Domina is an annual, limited-edition line of 333 pipes from Ser Jacopo meant to celebrate a singular shape in various finishes that epitomizes that year's tastes and trends. Realized in 1996, the series has presented a distinctive design each year since, with the 2021 shape represented by a unique rendition of the Calabash. The workshop's designated design for 2022 is this unique, stylish take on the bent Apple and includes a gleaming silver accent engraved with the workshop's moniker and the year. It's serialized as number 35/333.

The Pesaro pipe maker is known for fashioning flourishing, often whimsical designs, with this bent Apple fitting in well with that shaping aesthetic. Among the most striking conventions here is the pronounced extension of the thick shank through the heel, its taper terminating in an angular spur past the fore. Situated atop that "cupping" feature is a supple, affably charming and plump bowl with a gentle taper toward the rim, while a sinuous S-curve in back promotes a comfortable smoking posture and neoclassic shaping.

This eye-catching pipe is wearing the Italian workshop's natural-stained, Spongia sandblasted finish, unveiling the briar's natural grain patterns, and should take on the warm tones associated with patina as it's smoked over time. The gleaming silver band lends a playful dose of flash and is contrasted by the jet-black acrylic mouthpiece, all of which culminates in a handsome composition quite worthy of its Domina status.