Sandblasted Bent Apple (E) (099) Tobacco Pipe

I'll admit that when I first picked up this pipe, I assumed it was a Kikuchi. This is simply a design that seems to have a lot of focus on an interesting tactile experience, you see, and that's the sort of thing I naturally associate with Kikuchi given her art background involving small sculptures with just that focus. Basically what we're looking at here is a modified Egg or Apple, altered though a very smooth transition, a forward posture of bowl, and most of all by an exceptional degree of "cheekiness." The form is comfortable but firm, filling out the hand well and naturally — and the texture provided by the sandblast only makes it all the more enjoyable.

- Eric N. Squires