J. Alan: Sandblasted Dali's Dublin with Bamboo (1106) Tobacco Pipe

Jeff Gracik's "Dali's Dublin" is one of his most whimsical signature shapes, yet one we've unfortunately been unable to get our hands on until now. When many artisans create a bamboo rendition, they try to follow an upward arcing curve along the extension and shank, bringing the stem to a parallel plane with the rim though a gentle S curve. The Dali's Dublin is quite a departure from that canon, then, instead featuring a downward arc along the underside — similar to what you would expect to see form a Prince or the like. Paired with the rounded heel of the bowl and a lot of lift to the underside of the transition, it creates an overall "droopy" aesthetic, which does, in fact, seem to allude to some of Salvador Dali's surrealist "melting" themes, like those pictured in The Persistence of Memory. A very unique piece from one of the top artisans of our age.

- Andrew Wike