Dasha Florov: Smooth Leaf and Moon Tobacco Pipe

Like her father Alex, Dasha Florov excels at crafting highly sculptural pipe designs, often looking to nature for inspiration and incorporating beautifully intricate lines in her compositions. This Leaf and Moon shape is an excellent example of her acumen, and while inspired by the design's namesakes, it's also a commemoration of a signature Kei-ichi Gotoh shape. Gotoh's iterations have varied over the years, each one imbued with unique orientation, and Dasha's rendition here maintains the form's characteristic elements while also being distinct in its own right.

In profile the "leaf" and "moon" aspects remain parallel and unnoticed, but when viewed from above or below, the pipe's personality comes to life. The section into which the chamber is drilled curves at the flanks into a pointed fore that tilts leftward and resembles the teardrop shape of a leaf. Facets comprise the sides of this section, highlighting concise striations of vertical grain, and subtle ridgelines divide the form in half length-wise along the top and underside, reminiscent of a leaf's central vein. The shank, then, forms the moon section of the composition when viewed from above, with the left portion of the crescent integrated into the leaf while the right side curves outward into space before reattaching. The central ridge of the leaf curls into the top panel of the moon, seamlessly merging the two separate designs into one cohesive composition, and the sides of the moon reveal vertical grain that echoes the patterns along the leaf and a kiss of plateau along the moon's underside provides a tasteful accenting touch.

Furthermore, the stem joins the stummel artfully via an expanded base that mirrors the shaping of the moon but extends to the left balancing out the moon's rightward trajectory. Lastly, one more subtle feature celebrates Gotoh's iconic style: The tapered portion of the mouthpiece features light ridgelines above and below for an ever-so-subtle, diamond-like cross section that dissipates at the bit to ensure smoking comfort.