Doctor's: Sandblasted Cherrywood with Bamboo and Black Ebony (Flash) Tobacco Pipe

Roman Kovalev is a Russian carver with a particularly unique background. He spent many years as a pediatric neurologist, and during that time, he smoked hundreds of pipes from artisans from around the world. He became obsessed with the artistry and functionality of the craft, paying close attention to how a pipe looked and smoked. With the same ferocity and enthusiasm that led to his success as a race car builder and distillery owner, Kovalev began fashioning pieces under the Doctor's name, a nod to his previous profession. His work showcases a penchant for organic, soft-featured shapes and the utilization of nontraditional accent materials, such as wildly shaped bamboo and other exotic hardwoods.

This Cherrywood is immediately recognizable as Kovalev's work, not only because of its wildly expressive shaping, but also because of its deft accenting work, here represented by the five knuckles of extra-craggy bamboo extending the shank. Almost accordion-like in appearance, the bamboo folds in on itself and looks tight compressed, as if coiled and ready to strike. The dense grass is accented by nodes of black ebony, which deftly complement the bamboo's dark complexion.

Shape-wise, this piece, though less than five inches in total length, boasts a massive bowl, one that flares from its narrow heel to its broad, domed rim. As the bowl flares, it takes on a forward-ebbing posture that lends the entire composition a touch of dynamism in profile. Additionally, the bowl houses a capacious chamber within its softly contoured frame, ensuring plenty of long, leisurely smoking sessions, which the sinuously bent shank-and-stem arrangement will deftly aid. A handsome sandblast dresses the stummel and highlights growth rings that ripple across the bowl before terminating at the smooth-polished rim, which also displays stunning birdseye and flashes of plateau. It's a truly stunning composition, so it's no wonder Kovalev awarded it his esteemed Flash grade.