Yuwei: Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Mammoth Tobacco Pipe

Drawing inspiration from both Danish masters and modern American artisans, Yuwei Huang often produces quite gestural shapes elevated by unique accents and materials. This bent Dublin fits into that style and shows the Taiwanese artisan's skill and creativity in interpreting more conventional designs. A dramatic flare of bowl and soft, lifted heel nod toward the Danish tradition, working quite well here to display stunning ring grain climbing from heel to rim. Yuwei employs a ruby and chocolate stain and an excellent sandblasting technique to bring the tight stacks of growth rings fully to life, providing a cornucopia of detail for the eye to admire and finger pads to explore.

A broad expanse of undulating rim displays a field of natural plateau, a fitting crown for thick walls that provide ample protection for a deep chamber. The shank transition forms a natural place to rest my thumb, making me feel as if this pipe was born in my hand and wants to stay there forever, and I daresay I dearly wish it could. A pink-toned mammoth mount reinforces the shank end and creates a quite rare combination of coloration and usage of material, while a very gently bent saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite tops everything off. Among the most classic renditions we have seen yet from Yuwei, this pipe represents a rare opportunity for fans of his work who want a classically-inclined variant.