Lan Zhenjun: Sandblasted Tomato Tobacco Pipe

Taking a more Japanese approach to the form, this squat Tomato from Lan Zhenjun is just an excellent piece all around, balancing a seriously low profile with a good bit of whimsical gesture to boot. By orienting the transition quite high and keeping it cinched, Lan's really highlighted the overall breadth and shapely curves of the bowl itself — making for a soft, rounded look in profile, as well as a comfortable, natural feel in hand. The quick flare to the shank, however, adds a good bit of dynamism to the composition, contrasting those full, shapely curves with faster, more gestural lines, and the slight downward turn to the mouthpiece just balances things out nicely, bringing the overall axis of the piece back down to the level of the bowl, while mirroring the shank's pronounced flare in its turned stem base. What's more, Lan's really paid careful attention to grain orientation here as well, situating the burls to either flank so that the block's dense ring grain pattern fills the space between with rippling vertical rings. Gorgeous piece from Lan.

- Andrew Wike