Dirk Heinemann: Smooth Fugu with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Dirk Heinemann has previously cited the Blowfish as one of his favorite shapes to make, as it affords a great amount of freedom in the shaping process, while also making for a form dictated by the briar's natural grain pattern. It comes as no surprise, then, that he's presented us with this gorgeous Fugu form, imbued with a touch of precise pinch to frame each rounded, bulbous flank. He's also opted to juxtapose the cheek-adorned, forward-inclined bowl with a hexagonally-paneled shank, allowing the latter to list ever-so-slightly rightward (from the smoker's perspective), counter-balanced by the bowl's leftward-leaning disposition. Altogether, it's a striking rendition of the shape, lent just the right amount of Japanese asymmetry to reinforce its inherent dynamism. Finished in a fittingly affable honey-blonde stain, each precisely-framed grain pattern is highlighted with aplomb, complemented by the stellar bamboo mount at the shank's end. From here, an arching saddle stem makes use of plenty of negative space to further balance the composition in profile. An awesome piece.