Ping Zhan: Smooth Blowfish with 'Bamboo' Carved Horn Tobacco Pipe

The first time we saw Ping Zhan's bamboo-carved horn, I thought well isn't that odd, but beautiful. The odd thing is that it's considerably more work (and risk of wasted work if something goes wrong) to carve horn into a very natural depiction of bamboo than it is to simply put bamboo on a pipe. Bear in mind bamboo extensions are themselves no quick or easy matter to do right.

The beautiful thing is, well, very likely the very reason why Ping Zhan bothers. Take the natural form of a piece of bamboo and combine it with the colors, bristle-grain, and slight translucence of genuine horn, and the result is a tiny piece of art all by itself.

Of course it is not all by itself here, being attached to what is also a beautifully sculpted (and grained) briar bowl, the result of both together being one very beautiful whole - that you can also smoke.

- Eric N. Squires