Japanese Estates: Shizuo Arita Sandblasted Rhodesian with Bone (One Ant) (1007) (with Tamper) (Replacement Stem) Tobacco Pipe

Born in 1935, Shizuo Arita carved his first pipe after being gifted a pipe kit on his 40th birthday, igniting a passion that would last for decades and that would eventually pass on to his son: Takeo Arita. Though now retired, Shizuo's pipes display a remarkable variation of forms, the self-taught artisan creating fluid, organic pieces that draw on the Danish school while being subject to his own whimsical, expressive style. This Rhodesian is a handsome piece from the Japanese artisan, one that toes the line between its namesake shape and the bent Bulldog thanks to its firm-lined shank. This shank curls out of a wide transition and flares horizontally, creating a compressed look in profile that's emphasized by the shank's own rectangular paneling, one that calls to mind the Bulldog's diamond-shaped shank and stem arrangement. The shank is capped by an accent ring of pale white bone that serves as the junction to a sleek and demurely downturned cumberland stem, one complete with a sharp expansion ring followed by a stepped base right before the bit. This stem is actually a replacement piece, so the price of this pipe has been adjusted a bit, but it's a high-quality replacement that nicely complements the composition. Up front, the bowl stands on a sweeping heel and grows thick, flaring walls that expand out to a high-set waistline marked with a firm ridge: one that denotes the form's iconic taper to the rim. The bowl is actually slightly broader than it is tall, and all this breadth aptly insulates the chamber, while also creating an excellent display for the stummel's warm tanblast. Bands of growth rings ripple down the walls and through the shank, while the rim and underside are covered in blasted birdseye.