Misc. Estates: Chris Asteriou Smooth Bent Dublin Sitter with Bamboo and Ivorite (1093) (2021) (Unsmoked) Tobacco Pipe

Greece's foremost artisan, Chris Asteriou displays a masterful control over Briar, creating designs that range from Anglo-French classics to sculptural works of functional art, not surprising given his background as an architect and industrial designer. This bent Dublin certainly leans more toward the latter, and additionally showcases some decidedly Japanese elements, all working together in tandem with Asteriou's personal style to make for a strikingly unique piece that is rife with organicism. The stem is a trim saddle possessed of a demure downturn that ebbs toward an expansion ring-like base which sits at a slight angle. Meeting this stem is a trim band of Ivorite followed by a densely knuckled fitment of bamboo, with the bamboo chosen being one that not only features some naturally occurring flares and tapers in places, but that curves ever so slightly to the right, something corrected by the stem by the angled expansion ring, allowing it to list gingerly to the left while the bit stays straight, correcting for the dense grass' "imperfections". This is extremely difficult to do, and is a feat achieved by few artisans, showcasing Asteriou's practiced hands and the impact of his former occupations on his pipe making. The shank that meets this bamboo is trim and curved a bit, flaring into the transition to match the bamboo's own curve and flare, and meets an impressive bowl.

The bowl here grows out of a flattened heel, rising and flaring toward the rim in the traditional Dublin fashion, though with a palpable sense of momentum, as the entire fore is angled forward. Additionally, there is a striking asymmetry to the bowl's construction, with the right flank both rising higher and flaring out further than the left, creating a kind of balanced Wabi-Sabi effect that draws the eye toward the front of the pipe, something magnified by the rim's similar disposition. The ridgeline that wraps this rim quavers slightly in its travel around it, highlighting the asymmetry further, with even more prevalence given to the effect by the inflation of said rim, as, near the chamber and on the right, it rises to its highest point before meeting a chamfer into the chamber. Plateau rings this chamfer just outside it, while the rest of the rim's surface showcases dense birdseye, courtesy of the warm contrast stain applied to the briar here, with the circumference of the bowl seeing straight grain all around, the pale hues of the accents adding contrast and furthering the natural inclination of the pipe overall.