Adam Davidson: Sandblasted Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

A stylistic trend I've noticed throughout Adam Davidson's work is his ability to carve somewhat larger pipes and yet lend them the poise and visual dynamism typically only seen on smaller pieces. It's a design cue that creates an illusion of sorts, the physical presence of the piece seemingly contradicted by its lines and curves. That visual paradox is evident in this bent Dublin. In hand, it exudes considerable substance, particularly at the bowl — broadly flaring and thick-walled, dominating the profile. However, while widely splayed in profile, the bowl remains pinched at the flanks for quite the slender demeanor through the horizontal axis. Such shaping both conforms well to wrapped fingers, and also contributes to the form's dynamism. It's this dynamism's relationship to the hearty substance of the bowl that makes this piece so appealing — the flowing momentum displayed in the bowl's neat forward cant and the slight sinuosity of the oval shank and saddle stem. Exuding graceful curves alongside imposing boldness, this Dublin combines seemingly contradictory elements of design for one intriguing composition.