Smooth Dublin with Bamboo (Kikuchi) (F) (197) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

It's the softness to Kikuchi's shapes that often captures our attention, as well as the compact proportions of her bowls. This Dublin, topped with four knuckles of pale, straight bamboo, is a rather low-slung take on the shape, with a a playful sense asymmetry to its rim that feels carefully measured, rather than wild or uncontrolled. The result feels almost floral, particularly in the pronounced line around the rim, leading to the rim's soft bevel. It's tidy, streamlined work, with grain not left to an afterthought — tight whorls of birdseye dress the rim, while its bowl wears licks of flame on all sides.

- Rachel DuBose