Dirk Heinemann: Sandblasted Cobra with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Attributed to the legendary Bo Nordh, the Cobra shape is typically characterized by crisp ridgelines running the length of the shank to, then, wrap the bowl's fore in a sinuous, smooth flowing manner. Over the years, modern artisan carvers have modified its basic principles with a multitude of vivid interpretations, such as this stellar rendition by Dirk Heinemann. It's immediately reminiscent of some of the German artisan's bent Egg designs, though here the ridgelines along the flanks add some rigidness to contrast the rest of the bowl's curvaceousness. Those ridgelines dramatically sweep up along the sides of the bowl, seamlessly blending with the ridgeline that wraps around the outside of the smooth, chamfered rim. The bowl itself is finished in a light-depth, yet texturally pleasing sandblast, its dark hue strikingly contrasted by the bamboo ferrule that extends the shank. Said bamboo has been cut and polished to resemble a hardwood accent, while still offering the grain texture of bamboo. It gives the organic medium a more rustic appearance, similar to antler or bone, and demonstrates Heinemann's ability to utilize accenting materials not just for aesthetic purposes but as a component in this pipe's overall design.