Lasse Skovgaard: Smooth Acorn with Ivorite Tobacco Pipe

The work of Danish artisan Lasse Skovgaard is often marked by fluid grace and sleek curvature imbued with an eclectic and arresting sense of whimsy. The Peewit is a modern classic shape, though one that's immediately recognizable as a timeless example of Danish shaping. Originally crafted by legendary artisan Sixten Ivarsson, the Peewit is something of a dramatized, slenderized Acorn, though here, as rendered by Skovgaard, it becomes its own kind of unique shape. The transition is tight, and it gives way to a subtly lifting shank that flares out expressively to a ridgeline-wrapped end that's domed at the face and met by a sleek saddle stem of black vulcanite. This vulcanite is accented with a broad band of Ivorite at the base, and the base is further embellished by a sharp expansion ring that pulls the eye toward the junction and balances the presence of the bowl. Up front, said bowl stands on a sweeping heel that keeps curling through the fore wall and creates a seamless look, offering ample roundness and lending this piece a dynamic, subtly momentum-filled look. At the aft side, the walls push out significantly and form a more conspicuously rounded shape as they arc toward the gently chamfered rim, contributing to the transition's tightness and making for a comfortable feel in hand. An elegant ridge lines the left flank of the stummel here, curving from the shank end to the rim in similar fashion to the fish and adding a touch of firmness to the composition. Dressed in a rich, chestnut-toned stain, the stummel showcases handsome grain throughout, with birdseye at the fore and aft of the bowl, while the flanks are striated with cross grain.