Tao: Smooth Pot with Silver and Amberoid Stem Tobacco Pipe

Informed by his years of experience as a sailor, much of Jens "Tao" Nielsen's portfolio consists of sturdy, compact, and resilient briars, with the Danish carver's practical approach making for a cohesive style that exudes a stoic character. This Pot rendition from Tao carries a touch of muscularity within Nosewarmer proportions, measuring just under four and a half inches in length. In addition to being hearty, on-the-go smokers, Tao's pipes are also built for comfort, with this Pot's plump bowl contouring well to the hand and its diminutive length allowing for a relaxed clenching posture. Much of the piece's build is focused upfront, where it sees a squat, stocky bowl formed by thick walls rising from the broad base toward the rim, its figure possessed of a slight forward cant that keeps the overall composition active in profile. Transitioning from the bowl is a straight shank that meets a sleek tapered stem of vibrant, swirling amberoid, with a broad silver accent band set just before the shank end for a dose of flash. Complementing the stem's warm palette is the stummel's smooth, honey-blonde stain, which highlights fine tendrils of flame grain across the base and whorls of lovely birdseye circling the rim and underside alike.