Smooth Elf with Giraffe Bone Tobacco Pipe

Emanuel de Queiroz Emiliano started smoking in seminary and was inspired by the pipes of his countrymen to begin carving his own, having since become one of Brazil's most accomplished artisans: drawing from a variety of styles to cultivate a unique, sophisticated portfolio. The Elf is one of Emiliano's signature shapes, and it's an interesting one, essentially taking the form of an extremely demurely bent Egg with a unique bowl shape that immediately sets it apart from the vast majority of other examples. This particular take on the shape is an impressively compact one, measuring in at just over five inches long and maintaining a strikingly light weight that lends itself well to travel or clenching, despite the subtleness of the shape's bend. The transition here is wide, with plenty of room to drape a digit, and it gives way to a slender shank that reaches out cylindrically before taking on an expressive flare to a sleek saddle stem of softly curved black vulcanite, one whose broad base has been accented with a large accent of giraffe bone. Up front, the bowl stands atop a sharp, subtly spurred heel that acts as the center for much of this pipe's visual weight, though the breadth of the shank and stem base do well to balance some of the bowl's visual presence. From atop this heel, the walls flare out gently to a mid-set waistline before starting a gradual arc to the rim, where the aft side wall has been raised significantly, creating a starkly angular silhouette with an aerodynamic character. Dressed in a rich contrast stain, the stummel reveals a wrapping pattern of flame grain around the bowl and through the shank, with the bone accent's pale tones creating ample contrast.