Sandblasted Bent Egg (Kikuchi) (015) (2026) Tobacco Pipe

Asami Kikuchi's journey into pipe making began in her twenties when she first encountered the machinery at the Ikebana Pipe Workshop while completing a school assignment. Instantly drawn to the craft, she sought permission to remain at the workshop and continue learning. Under the mentorship of Kazuhiro Fukuda — then head of Ikebana and a protégé of Sixten Ivarsson — Kikuchi honed her skills and eventually joined the workshop as a full-time artisan in 2013.

This bent Egg showcases Kikuchi's talent for reimagining classic forms with a quiet elegance that feels both familiar and distinctly her own. Danish-inspired in its fluidity, the shape is marked by soft, graceful lines that flow effortlessly from bowl to bit. The bowl displays a gentle taper and subtle curvature, lending the composition a sense of poise without sacrificing balance or restraint. Out back, the shank-and-stem arrangement offers a comfortable smoking posture while maintaining the piece's streamlined profile. A crisp sandblast dresses the stummel and brings vivid grain into sharp relief, while the smooth rim provides a touch of contrast that completes the composition with understated sophistication.