Lasse Skovgaard: Sandblasted Nautilus with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

One of Denmark's premier artisans, Lasse Skovgaard produces pipes that prioritize supple curves, gorgeous finishes, and superior engineering, creating compositions that are singular in their execution, as evidenced by this iteration of the Nautilus design. Like the Elephant's Foot, the Ballerina, and the Sphinx, the Nautilus shape was originated by Swedish artisan Bo Nordh, but it has since become a staple among various carvers' portfolios. It's defined by a unique, curling stummel that resembles the shell of its namesake. Such shaping lends the composition a dramatic and highly organic outline, which Skovgaard has embellished slightly, extending the shape's reach with three knuckles of bamboo. The placement of the dense grass accentuates the stummel's curvaceous build, suspending the totality of the briar at a distance, allowing its unique build to be appreciated independently from the rest of the composition. Dressed in a crisp, earth-toned sandblast, this piece boasts a wealth of attractive grain, with rippling growth rings and tight clusters of birdseye populating the briar's surface.