Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Bent Apple with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

As the son of Benni Jørgensen, Lasse Skovgaard could be said to have pipe making in his blood, but this isn't just a case of inherited talent. At the age of 16, Skovgaard began working at the esteemed W.Ø. Larsen workshop and quickly graduated from producing tampers to fashioning pipes with the other carvers. He refined his skills and talents over time with the help of his father and the great Teddy Knudsen, and in 2004, he started making artisan pipes under his own name. He quickly garnered international success and is now considered one of Denmark's premier carvers.

This bent Apple showcases Skovgaard's talent with plump curves and flowing lines. Like many of his renditions of the classic shape, the bowl here features a subtly convex rim that comes to a defined point at its fore and aft sides, bringing to mind the opened mouth of a Venus fly trap. The rest of the bowl is stocky and voluptuous, possessing an elegant curvature that nicely accommodates wrapping fingers. The shank feeds into the low-set transition and provides a touch of definition to the heel. The consistent undercurve draws attention to the languid shank and its flaring face, which comprises a ferrule of boxwood. The boxwood accent adds a touch of warmth to the pipe's reserved color palette. A dark sandblast envelopes the stummel and draws out rippling growth rings across the flanks of the bowl, save for part of the shank, which is smoothly polished and stained a auburn hue for contrast. It's a stunning pipe that exudes an elegant charm, and will doubt become a welcome addition to any collector's rotation.