Ray Kurusu: Smooth Apple with Boxwood Tobacco Pipe

An incredibly compact Nosewarmer with some thoroughly plump proportions, this Apple from Ray Kurusu measures in at just over a mere three and a half inches in length. That said, the bowl's low-set waistline keeps the form substantial in hand, and the shank's hearty disposition maintains this muscularity, rivaling the bowl in regards to the piece's visual weight. It's a design we've seen several times before from the Japanese carver, and though quite diminutive, the design does well to showcase Kurusu's inclination toward organic forms, often imbued with a whimsical accenting touch. In this piece, that playfulness isn't displayed so much in the shape as it is in Ray's use of boxwood: The shank end bears a wedding band of the pale material, while the base of the cumberland saddle stem features a slivered boxwood ringlet that spins in place around the mouthpiece. It makes for a lovely, tactile accent that remains subtle when combined with the piece's overall traditional profile.