Chris Asteriou: Sandblasted Bent Egg with Bamboo and Ivorite (1170) Tobacco Pipe

Chris Asteriou is a Greek carver who fashions a wide variety of shapes, ranging from gestural Freehands to classic, artisanal renditions of French and English standards. His work is marked by an exceptional, almost chameleon-like, ability to shift from one design sense to another, from pipe to pipe. This particular piece is a bent Egg, displaying a poised, tall bowl paired to sinuous shank-and-stem combination, making for a willowy profile that offsets the plumpness of the bowl. A bit of Danish shaping can be seen in the pipe's design, especially with the gradual, lifted heel lending the bowl a certain forward momentum.

Stylish accents are often employed by Asteriou, most often exotic hardwoods, sterling silver, or horn, with this particular rendition featuring five dense knuckles of bamboo that, while tightly-packed, actually take on a slight taper to the face. This bamboo extension's lighter hues not only serve to add a wealth of contrast to the deep, inky stain of the stummel, but act as a canvas for a quartet of nodules that have been carved out of ivorite to accent the accent and showcase Asteriou's talent. A rich sandblast dresses the stummel, drawing out dense ripples of undulating ring grain around the surface of the bowl, leaving plenty of stimulating texture to delight the fingers and the eyes. Overall, this piece boasts a fluid design that cascades from rim to bit, with a robust size with a robust size that's still rather lithe, making for a sleek rendition of the shape and one that fits comfortably in both the hand and the jaw.