Smooth Bent Acorn Tobacco Pipe

Another seriously stout take on a classic shape from Davide Iafisco, this rendition of the bent Acorn features a good bit of extra visual weight in the bowl (hinting at the Italian neo-classical tradition), followed by a rather Danish style of lifting heel and deep, sweeping arc along the underside. That continuous arcing gesture is emphasized all the more here through Davide's use of crisp, defining ridges along the underside of either flank — visually reinforcing the implied parabola suggested by the shape itself. Those harder lines, of course, are balanced out nicely by the more organic form of the bowl itself: plump around its high-set, rounded waistline with a craggy, asymmetric crown of plateau kissing the rim. A great example of how a carver can play with curves and lines to create a beautifully balanced number overall. Stunning flame on this example as well.

- Andrew Wike