Alexander Tupitsyn: Smooth Blowfish Tobacco Pipe

Alexander Tupitsyn's approach to pipe making is largely influenced by his mentor Vladimir Grechukhin, a Russian artisan of much renown who pioneered the St. Petersburg school of pipe design. Muscular pieces rife with bulbous suppleness are typical of pipes within that school, and also dominate Tupitsyn's portfolio.

This Blowfish shows the Russian carver's affinity for shaping the briar so that its display of grain is outstanding. The teardrop-shaped stem base presents a crisp ridgeline that continues through the shank and defines the pipe's underside before curling up the palm-filling bowl at the fore, terminating at the rim. A more reserved rendition of the shape, yet with the form's bulging flanks and cheeking at the transition, the aforementioned dividing line serves as a sort of grain separator. Stunning swirls of birdseye populate either flank of the bowl and shank with equally striking cross grain seen at the fore and aft. The grain here is stellar, of course, and it's highlighted by one of Tupitsyn's vibrant contrast stains for a pipe that's certain to be scooped up by a discerning collector.