Tao: Smooth Billiard with Horn Stem Tobacco Pipe

Tao pipes are fashioned in Svendborg, Denmark, by Jens Nielsen, and the Danish artisan often favors compact, muscular forms designed for easy portability and travel. Such a shaping style fits in well to Nielsen's prior career as a sailor — his pipes' hearty design style yet short dimensions seemingly well suited to a rugged life at sea. Moreover, Tao prioritizes smooth finishes, highlighting stunning grain, as well as exotic accent materials, as displayed by this Billiard's horn stem.

Horn stems were especially popular in the late 19th and early 20th centuries, before the prominence of vulcanite and acrylic, and such a material choice lends this Billiard an especially vintage air. Shape-wise, it embodies Nielsen's signature aesthetic, with stout proportions through both the shank and bowl — emphasized by the saddle stem's diminution. Revealing classic Danish styling, the bowl tapers toward the rim, as opposed to the more upright stance of many French and English renditions; however, the rim remains crisp and flat, eschewing the Danish convention of slightly inflating the rim. Such a design choice furthers this piece's retro shaping in tandem with the horn stem, and the cumberland accent adds visual contrast against the stummel's rich, auburn stain, which highlights stunning flame grain across the bowl.