Bill Shalosky: Sandblasted Bent Dublin (258) Tobacco Pipe

Wonderfully organic and yet still quite active in its deeply sweeping stance from rim to bit, this bent Dublin is as an exquisite example of what Bill Shalosky is capable of. What's particularly striking about the design, to my eye at least, is his use of dissolving teardrop-like lines along the lenticular shank. Simply put, those hard ridges highlight the form's deep, sweeping profile as intended, yet they do so in a way that's not ostentatious or overt. They simply underline the gesture of the upward-flicking shank, guiding the eye through the transition to the bowl itself. But where many artisans would continue these lines up along the soft flare of the bowl, Bill chose to dissolve them just after the base, giving way to the tightly stacked undulating rings climbing up from the heel, exploding into a craggy, asymmetrical plateau crown. In other words, by fading out these pronounced ridges, Bill's created a design that not only cuts a very dramatic and active silhouette, but does it all while keeping the visual focus on the grain, and what a beautiful display it is.

- Andrew Wike