Doctor's: Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Bamboo and Boxwood (Double Flash) Tobacco Pipe

We've seen the underlying form of this Dublin from Roman Kovalev before, but as we've come to expect from the talented carver behind Doctor's pipes, he doesn't really do things the same way twice. The Russian artisan's use of accenting materials is as unique as they come, his eye for design and deft hand for creating playfully organic forms as acutely honed as his technical skill and intention for his pipes to be expertly engineered smoking instruments. His work with bamboo in particular sets him apart from other pipe makers, often selecting wild, nonuniform sections of the organic medium and incorporating them in excitingly creative ways that elevate the entire composition.

Kovalev's tremendous talent is readily apparent on this bent Dublin as is his distinctive use of bamboo not merely as an accenting material, but as an element that serves a greater purpose in the grand scheme of the overall design. The abbreviated, curling shank is extended with a gnarled bamboo ferrule, displaying a rugged, textured aesthetic that's furthered by accenting nodules of boxwood along its sides as well as a boxwood ring along at its end. Such a choice of bamboo adds an abundance of texture to the piece, both physically and visually, without distracting from the bowl's stellar grain orientation and sublime shaping.

The flaring, forward-urging bowl is proportionally large in relation to the shank and bamboo extension, attracting much of the visual focus. And with all of the captivating grain displayed around its flanks, there's no faulting Roman for emphasizing the bowl. Tight, undulating waves of grain rise in concert with the bowl's flare, demarcated from the broad, softly rounded rim by a pronounced ridgeline. Small patches of plateau are oriented along the rim's surface, imbuing this piece with even more organicism. Earning Kovalev's Double Flash grade, this composition showcases how a visionary artisan can reinterpret traditional forms into something truly special.