Smooth Acorn with Horn (Fukuda) (H) (234) (2017) Tobacco Pipe

Kazuhiro Fukuda has worked as an artisan for Tsuge long before the esteemed Ikebana line was formed. In the '60s and '70s, the Japanese carver was sent to Denmark, along with others from Tsuge, to learn from revered, innovative pipe makers there, like Sixten Ivarsson. Upon returning, the Ikebana line was eventually created to showcase individual, artisan-made Tsuge pipes. Today, Tsuge Ikebana pipes are made by three artisans, including Fukuda, with one such piece presented here.

Design-wise, it's a squat, Pot-like Acorn rendition, the heel dropping slightly below the transition as the bowl flares upward into a slightly concave rim. It fits naturally in hand thanks to the stout insulating walls, and the shank curls elegantly behind, elongated by a generous mount of horn. Compared to other examples, this section of horn prioritizes the material's lighter, creamier hues, which Fukuda has complemented beautifully by the stummel's honey-blonde stain.