Chris Asteriou: Sandblasted Strawberry with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Immediately recognized as the work of Chris Asteriou, this Strawberry shape is one of the Greek carver's signature designs, and this particular rendition is one that Chris is especially proud of. Like his other versions, this piece displays the same style of flaring bowl, lithe bend, and defining heel spur below the transition. However, compared to past pieces, this one features a more squat bowl, the lack of height requiring an even more dramatic taper from rim to heel. Said rim also displays a more Ivarsson-like sense of roundness, forgoing Chris' typically concave or plateau-crowned rendering. He's also marked the bowl with a strong asymmetric bend — the left flank rising taller than the right when viewed from the smoker's perspective.

Rivaling the gorgeously creative shaping though are Asteriou's use of bamboo and sandblasted finish. The former adds both a bright hue to the color palette and features an impressively slender piece of bamboo with tight-knit knuckles that interrupt the profile in line with the heel's spur. As for the sandblast, it's a stunning texture of ring grain rippling up the bowl, dressed in a dark stain to contrast the pale bamboo. The combination of squat bowl and trim bamboo make this a pipe of featherweight dimensions, effortlessly clenched and wonderfully intriguing in hand.