Tsuge Ikebana: Smooth Bent Egg with Bamboo (Kikuchi) (I) (045) (21) Tobacco Pipe

Asami Kikuchi is the youngest of the three artisans working in the Tsuge Ikebana workshop. She became fascinated with pipes in her 20s when she utilized the Ikebana workshop's equipment for a school project. Artisan pipe making spoke to her almost immediately, and she asked to stay and learn more about the craft. Kazuhiro Fukuda, the workshop's supervisor and a former student of Sixten Ivarsson, took Kikuchi on as an apprentice, and in 2013, she became an artisan for the workshop. This bent Egg is a fine example of her style, as it possesses a bold, organic character in bowl-forward proportions.

This piece displays a striking silhouette dominated by a broad, plump bowl with a deep curvature at the rear and flanks, with the fore remaining a touch slimmer. This unique shaping creates a comfortable feel in hand, with a reassuring presence. Behind the cheeked transition, a shank of pale bamboo stretches out over the length of three knuckles to join a subtly bent vulcanite saddle stem, promoting a comfortable smoking posture. Dressed in a light chestnut finish, the stummel boasts excellent flame grain around the bowl, with dense swirls of birdseye at the rim and heel. This truly special piece by Kikuchi will enjoy the spotlight in any collection.