Sandblasted Shield with Bamboo (11) (2026) Tobacco Pipe

Li Zhesong takes inspiration from Danish masters Bo Nordh and Jess Chonowitsch and produces less than 100 pipes a year, preferring a lower output instead to maximize the quality of each piece that leaves his workshop. This Shield of his making is a great testament to Zhesong's creativity and prowess with briar and other materials, resulting in an original, handsome work.

Birdseye and ring grain dominate the sandblasted bowl of this piece, which is fronted by a round, triangular face that forms a pair of ridgelines at the point where it meets with the rounded aft. In profile, the bowl takes on an Acorn-like shape, coming to a generous point at the bottom and topped with a flat rim. The shank is a three-knuckle length of cream-colored bamboo backed by a saddle stem of vulcanite, the rounded shoulders of which are shaped to nearly appear as a fourth knuckle. This is a wonderfully imagined and executed piece by Zhesong, and sure to satisfy any fan of the Shield shape.