David Huber: Sandblasted Leaf on Water (2719) Tobacco Pipe

In profile, this Freehand from David Huber resembles the Volcano shape, marked by a tapering bowl and separated heel, delineated by a ridgeline. When viewed from above, however, the piece's Leaf on Water moniker is given greater context. The front of the bowl curls to the left, while the back points to the right, lending the form the impression of rotation — like the extended, curling bands of a hurricane, just on a more discreet level. The shaping calls to mind a leaf, and that implied rotation easily evokes the image of a solitary leaf spinning — skiing, even — across the surface of a tranquil, glassy pond. David Huber here presents that image in the form of briar, dressed in an earthy sandblast to maintain the organic nature of the motif, and with a stem base that aligns perfectly with the shaping of the shank face for a cohesive composition from bit to rim.