Li Zhesong: Sandblasted Apple with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

A fairly traditional Danish-Japanese take on the straight Apple, this piece from Li Zhesong pairs a plump, little bulb of a bowl to a lean, abbreviated transition and a slender three-knuckle stretch of bamboo. He's paid careful attention to the spacing between shank, knuckles, and stem base, resulting in a perfectly balanced rhythm in profile. Rather than keeping the line of the underside arrow-straight or lending the heel a light and lifting gesture like you'd expect to see on similar Danish designs, Li's actually kept the underside of the bowl pronounced, allowing it to extend just past the horizontal axis of the shank and stem. It's a subtle detail, sure, but one that's really worked to soften the overall composition at play, lending even more visual weight to the bowl's plump curvature and cheeking. As for the finish, Li's yet again brought out some of the finest ring grain from this block, resulting in tightly stacked, undulating rings all around.