Dasha Florov: Smooth Wild Cherry Tobacco Pipe

A shape we haven't seen from Dasha before, this Wild Cherry resembles an Apple with plenty of Danish and Japanese influence to go around. The bowl is attractively plump with a slightly higher set waistline. Though sitting nicely in the hand, it's almost diminutive when considered in the context of the piece as a whole. The shank is robustly flared and takes up much of the shape's visual weight, evoking a decidedly Japanese aesthetic. Sporting a teardrop cross section, the shank creates a ridgeline down the flank, sweeping all the way up the front left side of the bowl and juxtaposing a sense rigidity with the form's inherent organicism.

Adding to this organicism, patches of plateau dot the rim and broad shank-end for a touch of Danish style. Florov has also inset a brass ring around the mortise, circumscribing the stem base when mounted. This is a relatively common convention among carvers; however, here Dasha leaves the brass raised instead of flush, matching it to the contours of the plateau at the shank-end. It's a subtle touch but one that she's pulled off incredibly well, making for a unique accent. The whole piece is, then, dressed in a bright contrast stain that, to me, resembles the crisp, delectable hues of a Gala apple, further adding to the piece's organic motif.