Yang Kun: Smooth Fish (Signature) (U2415) Tobacco Pipe

Yang Kun is a Chinese artisan whose years of work in the film and television makeup industry and intense love for the Danish school of pipe carving have combined to lend him a uniquely organic and wholly expressive carving style. The Fish was originally designed by Lars Ivarsson, comprising a tall, Egg-like bowl and a teardrop-shaped length of shank that's lined on one side with a ridge, with this ridge extending beyond the shank and coming to rest at the rim. Comparatively, this interpretation of the shape is far removed from its origins, infusing its form with some remarkable complexity thanks to the sweeping, flowing lines that surround its stummel. Immediately evocative of the Volcano by virtue of its expansive base and the ridgeline that wraps around this base, this pipe displays a tightly-knit dynamism and an impressive momentum about its form, with plenty of implied motion to keep the eye engaged and enthralled.

The transition here is extremely tight, appearing almost parabolic in profile as it gives way to a short, broadly flaring shank whose edges are framed with their own set of ridges. These ridges define a pair of sharp tapers through the edges of the shank that terminate at a thin strip of briar at the shank's peak, complete with an arcing curve through the right side that amplifies this pipe's outspoken asymmetry. At the flanks of the shank, these ridges form a pair of fin-like structures that exemplify the organic inspiration behind the shape, coming to a point that marks the start of the ridge framing the pipe's base. Said base pushes out from the ridge with intensity, extending into a vast, belly-like basin of briar that tapers subtly to a point below the bowl, pulling visual weight toward the fore and defining the start of a sweeping heel. The base's ridge counters some of the heel's trajectory thanks to its gradual upward lift through the flanks, which grants the bowl a lifting look that pushes its tapering walls into prominence. These walls taper slowly to the rim and feature some soft curvature about their travel, with the fore end rising higher than the aft and contributing further to the aforementioned momentum this pipe boasts. Out back, a short, subtly downturned saddle stem of black vulcanite completes the composition, its trim expansion ring creating some negative space at the shank face that ensures visual balance across this piece. This stem also adds to the implied motion of the pipe, as the eye is drawn from its button to the base's point before rising swiftly toward the rim's easy chamfer into the chamber. Dressed in a warm, rich, smooth finish, the stummel displays a wrapping pattern of flame grain surrounding the bowl and framing the shank, while the vast underside displays dense birdseye and a kiss of plateau near its point.