Yeti: Smooth Blowfish (458) Tobacco Pipe

Up until now, the Blowfish renditions we've encountered from Micah Cryder of "Yeti" pipes have exhibited a traditionally faceted sense of shaping, making use of tight ridges to frame regions of differing grain patterns, much in the way of Tokutomi. What makes this rendition special is its use of the implication of boundary-defining linework, initiated at the shank and fused seamlessly into the bowl itself. If it weren't for this meticulous intermingling of ridges, the pipe might come across a bit more Apple-like, juxtaposing the more rounded shaping up front with the more squarely faceted shank. Birdseye abounds, especially on the left flank, where it frames a tight region of craggy plateau, and Micah's employed a pinched, Tokutomi-like ridge about the aft, stepping it down carefully to guide the eye to the structured geometry out back. The carver's lent the form a sense of implied motion, with the impression of listing slightly to the right, though he's done well to lend it balance by way of a diagonally-oriented stem base. Finished in a vibrant contrast, this piece from Micah Cryder is simply stunning.