Manduela: Smooth Bulldog with Ebony Tobacco Pipe

Proportions are a tricky thing. Though no doubt tricky to properly execute for the carver (especially within the realm of classic shaping), when designed with a crisp sense of visual balance, the physical scale can be played with to achieve a varied array of sizes while still adhering to the deceptively understated profile. Such was the case with this handsome Bulldog from Manduela Riger-Kusk. From the photos, it's rather difficult to tell how charmingly petite this piece is, with a chamber on par with the more compact end of a Dunhill Group 1. With a more full-bodied shank relative to the bowl than some of the carver's more sleek, streamlined fare, it still showcases her penchant for crisp linework, especially as it relates to the heel and underside of the shank. It's also still quite impressive as far as grain goes too, with lively strokes of flame climbing up all flanks of the handy bowl, paired to an amber-hued acrylic stem imbued with a dark ebony hardwood accent.

- Daniel Bumgardner