Dirk Heinemann: Sandblasted Fig with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

A take on Adam Davidson's Fig shape, this piece from Dirk Heinemann combines plump curves and organic appeal with a streamlined sense of fluidity. As the shape requires, it features a flattened heel spur below the transition, from out of which seems to grow the high-waisted, Acorn-like bowl. It's a more elongated rendition compared to the German carver's previous Standing Fig, but this example still sits sturdily upright, impressing with the balance between bowl and shank/stem combination — similar in form to, but more streamlined of proportions than this other iteration. The shank features three knuckles of pale bamboo, serving to reinforce the piece's organic nature and matching well with the tilted saddle stem base, which resembles a fourth knuckle. What I find most unique and commendable about this piece, however, is the shaping of the heel spur itself: The flattened portion has been shaped to a teardrop, and from the resulting point, Dirk has carved a subtle ridgeline that curls up the bowl's fore, intersecting the sandblasted ring grain. The aesthetic is slight yet individual, separating this piece from other renditions.