Partially Sandblasted Long Shank Bent Dublin (1523) Tobacco Pipe

Continuing a familial pipe-making tradition that spans three generations, Nanna Ivarsson is among the world's most esteemed and respected artisans. Her work not only represents the highest levels of engineering and craftsmanship, but her shaping style is distinguished, distinctive, and aesthetically profound: Collectors prize her work for their smoking qualities and artistry, and other pipe makers often create their own versions of her designs in homage to her reputation. While her shaping style is understandably informed by her father, Lars, and grandfather, Sixten, before her, Nanna's own creative lens shines in each of her pieces.

Among Nanna's most recognizable pieces are her long-shanked renditions, impressing with dynamic posture, aerodynamic gesture, and beautiful compositional balance even despite their seemingly disparate proportions. Most notably, her long-shanked designs feature plumply rounded Apple or Acorn bowls, but this piece is distinguished by a squat Dublin bowl — a relative rarity in her portfolio but one that resembles a previous example from years ago. This one, however, differs substantially in its subtle detailing, adding to its collectible appeal and singular design.

The pipe's impressive seven-and-a-half-inch length is the most immediately arresting aspect: The shank tapers demurely in tandem with its slight curvature to poise the forward-canted bowl at the end, while the undercurve maintains an ever increasing arc toward the rim's fore. Said rim is delineated by a hard edge that contrasts the overall supple nature of the pipe, and such a design cue transitions naturally, then, to the innermost rim, which is raised for a hint of accenting structure. At the plateau-laden shank end, the rim's raised posture is matched by a brass ring inset around the mortise but left raised and exposed. These matching attributes help to balance each end of the pipe despite their distance apart. Finally, a low-depth yet detailed sandblast brings out the best of the briar's grain, while the rim is left smooth to highlight whorls of birdseye and to add further definition to its accenting features.