Sabina Santos: Sandblasted Tadpole with Black and White Ebony Tobacco Pipe

This impressive example of craftsmanship, dubbed the "Tadpole" (for obvious reasons), is a creation of Portuguese carver Sabina Santos. Originally, it's a design of fellow Portuguese artisan Joao Reis, under whom Santos studied. Here, she offers her own rendition of her mentor's eye-catching shape. Marked by a "tail" that coils around the shank from out of the bowl's heel, it's no small feat in terms of meticulous craftsmanship, requiring expert skill to carve the briar in such a slender, sinuous form. The bowl itself resembles that of an Egg, offering a plump form to fill the hand and a kiss of plateau at the rim for a subtle accent. In this piece, Sabina has fashioned the shank from black and white ebony, an exotic wood that boasts contrasting striations of charcoal and cream. It's a stunning testament to Sabina's carving ability and makes for a piece that's both visually impressive as well as quite comfortable.