Smooth Acorn Tobacco Pipe

The Acorn shape isn't a design often seen in Jess Chonowitsch's portfolio. Iterations occur rarely, separated by the Danish carver's fare of Billiards and their variants, the occasional Brandy or Apple, and of course other intermittent works of remarkable creativity and clarity. Regardless of its rarity, though, this rendition fits right into Jess's wheelhouse, displaying his Danish shaping cues, expertise at reading the briar's grain, and flawless craftsmanship.

The bowl is high-waisted, with most of its plumpness occurring near the rounded rim. Slightly forward of cant, the bowl's implied forward momentum caters well to the organicism inherent in the piece. Jess's conventional use of soft lines and gentle curves is apparent from the sloping rim to the slightly inflated shank-end, connected by the sweeping underside that ties the whole piece together. Said softness, though, is contrasted by a ridgeline along the shank's left flank. It's made by the shank's teardrop shape, calling to mind the Fish design, as the ridgeline flows crisply through the transition. It suddenly curves upward and dissipates imperceptibly into the bowl, continuing up to the rim not in actuality but by merging with the 3/4 grain lining the bowl's flanks. Such a fluid balance ensures that the harshness of the ridgeline blends seamlessly with the rest of the piece's supple nature, neither distracting from the form nor interrupting the feel in hand.

The grain suits the shape sublimely. The shank's ridgeline marks the origin of straight grain, as tongues of hair thin lines fan out above, as if growing from out of the ridge. Below, birdseye saturates the underside as well as at the rim up top. It's almost as if this piece were encased in a block of briar, and Jess simply chipped away the outer layer to reveal the treasure underneath. However, such a piece is the result of hours upon hours of focused attention built upon Jess's decades of experience. No detail has gone unnoticed, from the stem work to the finish to the shape itself. It's a testament to Chonowitsch's incredible skill as a carver, no, as a sculptor.