Smooth Bent Brandy (Kikuchi) (009) (2026) Tobacco Pipe

Tsuge's Ikebana line stands as the pinnacle of the company's artisan tradition — its name drawn from the Japanese art of floral arrangement, where balance, form, and organic beauty converge. At one time, Asami Kikuchi, Yoshirou Ohi, and Kazuhiro Fukuda collaborated in the workshop. However, Asami Kikuchi is now the sole remaining carver, using the expertise imparted from past craftsmen to carry on the Ikebana tradition. Her path to Tsuge was marked by years of artistic training, culminating in an apprenticeship under Kazuhiro Fukuda, himself a former student of the legendary Sixten Ivarsson. The workshop's creations seamlessly blend Japanese artistry with the flowing lines and organic forms often associated with Danish artisan design.

Rendered in compact, muscular proportions, this bent Egg by Kikuchi is just as functional as it is handsome. The overall profile measures under five inches in length, with the upturned shank and stem, along with the palm-friendly lower section of the bowl, promoting a comfortable smoking posture. Alongside its functionality, the grain on this piece is magnificent, with tendrils of cross grain aligning neatly with the oval, tapered shank. The bowl also shows striking grain, as its gently tapering walls carry flowing strands of straight grain along the bowl's surface and into the lower portion of the shank. A sense of muscularity carries through the profile, starting from the bowl and leading all the way to the base of the well-bent saddle stem. All of this attractive grain and refined shaping is brought out by a warm chestnut stain, resulting in yet another eye-catching piece from one of the greats of Tsuge Ikebana.