Sandblasted Tomato with Silver (Queen of Hearts) Tobacco Pipe

Plump and firmly-waisted, this Tomato from Ryan Alden, while compact in length, fits quite naturally in hand. The stretch of shank is generously long, considering the whole piece measures in at just under five inches, and tapers toward the bowl, making for a tight-knit transition. As the shank flares toward the stem, its lines' trajectories are continued by the saddle-stem's base, whose roundness matches the bowl's curves and makes for an elegant profile all around. The American carver has dressed it here in a crisp and glossy sandblast and dark stain, accented by a trim wedding band of sterling silver at the shank end, echoing the smooth, chamfered rim. Lovely work.