Smooth Bent Dublin with Horn (Fukuda) (M) (043) (2015) Tobacco Pipe

A particularly organic style of bent Dublin, this Fukuda piece is one that strikes me as a marriage between Danish minimalism and Japanese fluidity, its soft curvature at the shank and stem giving it a subtle S-curve that brings to mind the Danes, while the plump rim, clean ridgeline, and tapering bowl all bring to mind that naturalistic style so associated with Japanese art. It's all dressed in a light, vibrant contrast, flame grain and birdseye readily visible, and accented with a smoky piece of horn, the rear of which has been shaped to echo the soft bulge of the rim. Of note is the feel in hand, the complexity of its lines perfectly executed to rest quite easily in the palm, and neatly balanced from fore to aft. Beautiful work, and certainly worthy of Tsuge Ikebana's lesser-seen "M" grade.