Lasse Skovgaard: Smooth Freehand Bent Dublin with Ivorite (Lion) Tobacco Pipe

As the son of Benni Jørgensen, Lasse Skovgaard could be said to have pipe making in his blood, but he isn't just a case of inherited talent. At the age of 16, Skovgaard began working at the esteemed W.Ø. Larsen workshop, refining his talent over the years with the help of his father and the great Teddy Knudsen. Now, he's one of Denmark's premier artisans, and he produces elegant designs such as this Freehand bent Dublin.

This piece represents the upper echelons of the Dane's portfolio, its prestigious "Lion" stamp reserved exclusively for pieces Skovgaard considers of the utmost quality, both in terms of shaping and grain. Incorporating elements of the Danish Fancy style, this piece boasts a muscular, heavy-set bowl marked by a blossoming, organic flare, its thick walls rising upward to a wavy, asymmetrical rim. A wide transition follows the bowl and marks the start of a sweeping shank that gently tapers into a ferrule of creamy white Ivorite. The Ivorite accent flares toward its face, this gradual expansion echoed by the base of the saddle stem, both elements drawing attention to the pipe's junction and wrestling some of the visual weight away from the robust fore. Dressed in the glossy, contrast-rich smooth finish, the stummel offers a wealth of attractive grain, with fine tendrils of flame sweeping across the bowl's walls, rising in tandem with the bowl's flare to the rim.