Japanese Estates: Tsuge Tokyo Sandblasted Bent Egg with Bamboo (503) Tobacco Pipe

This "503" bent Egg from Tsuge showcases the Japanese firm's organic aesthetic and gestural, free-flowing sense of line. It's a sinuous interpretation of the shape-chart standard that boasts a demi-Churchwarden length thanks to the bamboo shank extension and long, demurely curved stem that follows. The bowl features the tapered flanks and drooping heel associated with the form, but here the rim is topped by a rugged ridge of plateau, which, alongside the two knuckles of bamboo, fosters that aforementioned organic sense of character. A dark sandblast dresses the stummel and highlights stacked growth rings around the bowl.