Abe Herbaugh: Smooth Tomato with Horn Tobacco Pipe

A style of Tomato we've seen before from Abe Herbaugh, this piece, and the gesture of the shape, calls to mind certain renditions from Cornelius Mänz — particularly in this piece's sinuous flow, sweeping heel, and off-set, plateau-crowned rim. Specific design cues, though, mark this as the recognizable work of Herbaugh. Overall, the shape is full of dynamic, forward-urging momentum, with no line left static or rigid. Most indicative of Abe's handiwork and aesthetic milieu is the shank end and stem base: The American artisan enjoys echoing the plumpness of the bowl, and here that's displayed by the bulging end of the horn shank extension, matched again by the nature of the stem base. Such a repetition of elements makes for quite the organic composition, a motif that's fully realized at the squat bowl, which fits sublimely in hand and seems to grow from out of the transition. Dressed in a dark, ruby-tinged stain, the color palette is reserved and traditional, beautifully complemented by the smoky tones and characteristic grain patterns of the horn mount.