Ken Dederichs: Sandblasted Mushroom Tobacco Pipe

Ken Dederichs' proclivity toward carving organic, Freehand-like forms is seen in the shaping of this piece. The Germany-based, Japanese carver maintains a low annual production rate, and this Mushroom rendition joins his many other iterations of the naturalistic shape. Appropriately named, the design features a domed rim, with this one marked by a portion of plateau along the left. Dederichs has crafted a number of these Mushroom, and this design's apparent asymmetry bespeaks influence from German artisan Cornelius Mänz — a renowned carver known for his use of asymmetry across organic forms, particularly his Mushroom renditions. Ken here puts his own spin on the shape, having carved this specific example according to the grain of this block of briar: The characteristic ridgeline wrapping the bowl dips dramatically leftward to match the trajectory of the lower bowl's growth rings, serving to demarcate those rings from the birdseye above. Such shaping both aligns expertly and coherently with the grain, while also balancing out the plateau which favors the left side. The forward-urging bowl is paired to a gently bent, round shank and is topped by a hand-cut, vulcanite stem. Dederichs once again employs soft curves and sweeping lines in geometrical precision that demonstrates unadulterated, raw talent.