Tsuge Ikebana: Smooth Tomato (Kikuchi) (076) (J) (2023) Tobacco Pipe

Meaning "living flowers" and named in reference to Japan's lauded flower-arrangement art form, Tsuge's Ikebana workshop comprises three artisans who individually carve pipes under the Ikebana name. A similar, organic aesthetic often unites the workshop's pipes, regularly showcasing distinctively Japanese interpretations of Danish shapes, yet each carver retains their own personal design style, with this Tomato having been fashioned by Asami Kikuchi.

Much of Kikuchi's portfolio can be divided into one of two shaping aesthetics: svelte and slender or soft and robust. This Tomato is of the latter variety, proffering pronounced plumpness and an organic disposition, as if taken directly from nature. Contrasting the bowl's gentle curvature and soft edges is the shank, which features a firm ridgeline along the left flank that continues around the shank face. This rigidity adds a tasteful textural accent to the otherwise soft-lined form, and the off-center ridgeline furthers the pipe's organic, asymmetrical appeal. Dressed in a blonde finish, the bowl showcases handsome flame grain, terminating at a rim dotted with natural plateau.