Smooth Nautilus with Silver (Cardinal) (A21) (04) Tobacco Pipe

Replete with birdseye and organic curvature, this Nautilus from Jody Davis is conveniently sized while absolutely packed with detail. It's wonderfully proportioned, with the curling shank as visually dominant as the bowl. The undercurve is a long parabola working in harmony with the rim, which is scalloped and chamfered, angled back to contribute to the profile's proportions and angles.

The mouthpiece is wide with a single expansion ring, after which it tapers to the lip button while maintaining a proportionately large diameter, allowing for a more even distribution of visual weight, and a silver ring reinforces the mortise for additional strength at the juncture. The curling shank joins the bowl on the near side, its transition from the bowl beautifully rendered with even curvature. A slight uplift where it joins the bowl provides a complementary angle between shank and bowl, all highlighted by Jody's contrast stain and illuminating the dominant birdseye along the flanks. Visually, proportionately, and physically balanced for beauty and comfort, it's a remarkable composition, and made by one of the premier carvers of the modern era.