John He: Smooth Asymmetric Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

From the work we've received from John He in the past, he's not one to lavishly adorn his pipes. Instead, the Chinese carver opts for simple presentations, with a focus on beautiful shaping and grain orientation. Such is the case in this stunning bent Dublin. Quite compact and lightweight, the piece fits superb details into a rather diminutive form. It's rife with asymmetry and organicism — a testament to John's study under Hiroyuki Tokutomi. There's a strong sense of forward momentum here, evident in the slight bend and strong cant of the bowl whose undulating rim is kissed with plateau and lends the form a floral aesthetic. Supporting the asymmetry at the rim, the teardrop shank is subtly off-set, dictated by the grain's placement, which He has read brilliantly. Splayed tongues of flame are positioned all along the flanks, separated from the birdseye underneath by the shank's ridgeline. Absolutely gorgeous.