Lasse Skovgaard: Smooth Volcano with Boxwood, Antler, and Horn (Lion) Tobacco Pipe

The son of pipe carver Benni Jorgenson, Lasse Skovgaard is an accomplished artisan, proficient in the shaping style of his native Denmark. Beginning in his father's studio, Skovgaard went on to work in the esteemed W.Ø. Larsen workshop, and now works independently, creating fine pipes that have proven popular among discerning smokers for decades. Skovgaard is no stranger to the Volcano shape, having carved excellent examples before, however, this piece is particularly excellent, meriting his coveted Lion stamp, which denotes his best work. The palm-filling stummel is characterized by a tall, sharply tapered bowl, with a slim, undulating rim. Toward the base, the walls flare out, creating a sinuous lip around the heel that continues up the bottom of the shank. Beneath the ridgelines, a fluid undercurve dominates the bottom of the design, offering a uniquely comfortable presence in hand. The slim shank curves upward to meet a large, flared boxwood accent at its point of conjunction to a demurely bent vulcanite saddle stem, adorned with two sections of both bright horn and antler that serve to balance the aesthetic emphasis of the design. Dressed in a rich auburn stain, the stummel boasts impeccable flame grain around the bowl, while dense swirls of birdseye work their way from heel to shank.