Smooth Jumping Whale with Boxwood (Slonim) Tobacco Pipe

Alex Florov's work is a lot of things, but it's certainly not understated. Indeed, his aesthetic is replete with complex forms, born of abstract ideas, showing no shortage of interesting feats of geometry, often firmly within the realm of organic shaping, and even occasionally right up there with the fantastical. This Jumping Whale is one of those more fantastical numbers.

At its core, it's a horizontally-oriented Blowfish, defined by a singular, sweeping motion, evoking the look of a large sea creature leaping from the the water. The Tokutomi influence is readily evident, with pinched linework framing the form and a balanced organic asymmetry showcased all around, especially so at the wavy, plateau-kissed rim. From above, the profile looks to me like a stylized paisley buta.

Alex has certainly gone the extra mile to imbue this piece with a massive degree of detail, from the unique, inset tenon arrangement with brass-stabilized mortise, allowing the stem to seemingly sprout effortlessly from the plateaued form, to the Gotoh-inspired ring of boxwood wrapping the circumference of the stem base. As a fully-functional Cavalier, the carver also lent the piece a broad, removable vulcanite base, allowing it to rest with unyielding stability. And just for good measure, Alex lined the whole of it with briar. Though not an easy feat to accomplish (like the rest of the piece), he's pulled it off beautifully.

- Daniel Bumgardner