Sabina Santos: Sandblasted Natural Acorn with Bamboo and Lapis Lazuli Tobacco Pipe

Sabina Santos' career as an artisan has been marked by plenty of drive in accumulating and putting into action knowledge gleaned on her own, along with skills attained from working with several renowned Danish artisans. The Portuguese carver has worked with Tom Eltang, Tao, and Hans "Former" Nielsen and continues to make her mark in the world of pipe making, her creations much admired and quickly scooped up by collectors.

This charmingly organic Acorn from Santos presents many appreciable elements. The bulbous bowl is gently rounded at the rim and tapers to an angular heel that stops just short of being a spur, yet appears so in profile. Sabina has then paired that bowl with an abbreviated shank that's integrated with three pale knuckles of bamboo, the shaping of the nodes continuing through the base of the downturned, powder blue stem. This pipe is part of her Minerals Series, which features precious stones. Here, the artisan has carefully imbued the bamboo with lapis lazuli, the gorgeous blue gems reflecting the color of the mouthpiece. One of the oldest spiritual stones, the celestial blue lapis lazuli has been used by healers, priests, and royalty for ages as it's a symbol of wisdom and truth. The sandblasted stummel remains unstained and reflects Sabina's keen eye in shaping the briar to maximize its grain as the wavy, distinctive growth rings and vertical grain is outstanding.