Age Bogelund (A) Smooth Pot (Estate)

Age Bogelund—or to use the correct, algorithmically unwieldy Danish spelling, Åge Bøgelund—was a fascinating figure in the Danish artisan scene. He seems to have got his start working at Denmark’s famous Bari Piber company, where he made high-grade pipes under its original owner and operator, Viggo Nielsen. It also seems that he was adept at pipe making that he would end up running Bari himself, after Nielsen stepped aside. In addition to his work with Bari, he also made similarly high-grade pipes for the German distributor Charles Fairmorn, as well as under his own name. Part of what makes Bøgelund so interesting, however, is that, aside from the brief biography just given, little else is known about him. Furthermore, despite being such a mysterious individual compared to so many of his peers, his pipes are very highly regarded and sought after. Ordinarily, that kind of demand is accompanied by extensive documentary research on the artisan and their works, though in Bøgelund’s case, those endeavors have largely come up empty. In any case, one could say that his legacy is not just that he made excellent pipes, but also that he proved that pipe makers don’t need to be celebrities to be recognized for their worth.

Åge Bøgelund’s pipes tended toward organic forms. Even when carving rugged freehands in the Danish Fancy vein, his works were noticeably plump and supple, even compared to his peers. So, it should not surprise that, when it came to crafting more “traditional” shapes, some of that organic bent crept in there as well. With this one, that comes out as an unusually broad and bulbous take on the Anglo-French pot, whose bowl seems almost larger than it should be relative to the pipe’s shank. Oddly enough, however, it works quite well, with the end result being a strikingly grained and strikingly strong-jawed rethinking of an old staple.

The condition is very good. Minor inner rim darkening, slight handling marks, and stem just slightly over-buffed at its base.

Details:

Length: 6.1″ / 154.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.83 / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.23″ / 31.24mm

Weight: 1.9oz / 56g