Jody Davis: Smooth Smiling Acorn (Bishop) (B24) (22) Tobacco Pipe

Jody Davis, in addition to being an accomplished musician, is also a venerated pipe maker who fashions some of the finest briars in the world. Like many American artisans, Davis tends to fashion relatively compact designs that emphasize muscular proportions over length, something true of this "Smiling" Acorn.

Though it measures less than five inches long, this piece makes the most of its conservative footprint, packing a wealth of substance into a fairly compact outline, with a considerable muscularity evident across the bowl and shank alike. Said shank emerges from the bowl at a sharp angle, producing the "smile" of its title," and joins a demurely curved saddle stem that continues the implied trajectory of the shank. The totality of the shank-and-stem arrangement provides balance to the overall form and mirrors the bowl's active posture. Dressed in a warm, glossy smooth finish, the stummel offers a wealth of attractive grain.