Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin Tobacco Pipe

Put a simple shape idea into the head of an artisan carver like Alexander Tupitsyn, stir briskly, and wait. The result will be something like this bent Dublin, which is, to be sure, a bent Dublin, but it's much, much more. Few carvers can incorporate the complexity of this rendition and have it maintain a character of quiet and understated elegance, but Alexander manages just such a miracle. There is smooth briar at the rim, punctuated by subtle whispers of plateau centered on the rim's curved surface. That smoothness is echoed on the underside of the piece, which presents a long, triangular smooth surface, wide under the mouthpiece and narrowing to a thin band curving up the far side of the bowl, all in the same hue as the rim and band of briar at the end of the shank.

The stummel is sandblasted, the blast is craggy and undulating, with wonderfully defined growth rings and vertical grain alike showcased by the texture. Tupitsyn's pipes are wonderful to view in profile for their remarkable curvatures, and this piece is no different, with the curve of the upper transition and the overcurve of the upper shank both exemplary in feel and appearance. The curve of the rim harmonizes with all the other geometry at play here as well, for a composition that is endlessly fascinating.