Wolfgang Becker: Sandblasted Bent Egg with Mammoth (Double Wolf Paw) Tobacco Pipe

Wolfgang Becker's signature Wasp and bent Egg designs have many shaping cues in common, namely, a dynamic, forward-driving posture, a raised, muscular transition, a flared shank, and a bowl with a vaulted fore wall. Becker's bent Egg, however, places a greater emphasis on tight-knit proportions and muscularity, while the Wasp possess a more stretched style of build. We've seen a number of both of those aforementioned shapes from Becker, and it's always fascinating to see the way the shape evolves from rendition to rendition. This particular bent Egg bears much in common with others from the German artisan, but here, the stocky, heavy-set bowl lacks the defined curvature across its fore, though the rim remains ever-so-slightly slanted.

A consistent undercurve marks the stummel and keeps the overall form concise and sweeping, the plump, rounded heel feeding into the lifted shank, which itself gives way to a demurely curved saddle stem. The bowl gradually tapers from its lifted heel to its chamfered rim, a shaping cue that softens the form and should aid in the loading of a favored blend. The cheeking transition accentuates the soft contours of the bowl, especially at its aft side, and lends some independence to the bowl in its entirety, placing emphasis on the inherent dynamism of the shape. A crisp, earth-toned sandblast dresses the stummel unveils rippling growth rings across the bowl's flanks, while an accent of mammoth graces the junction and livens the composition. It's a wonderful bit of craftsmanship, so it's no wonder Becker awarded it his Double Wolf Paw grade, the second highest in his portfolio.