Sandblasted Calabash with Buddha Belly Bamboo and Black and White Ebony Tobacco Pipe

Calabashes aren't common shapes within the artisan pipemaking world, and Sabina Santos is one of the few carvers to readily produce the design, each one of her pieces unique and defined by exotic materials and stellar shaping. This particular number forgoes the iconic bend of the classic gourd Calabash, opting instead for a straight, squat, and overall more compact variation. The bowl urges forward into a strong flare upward, giving way to a broad, domed cap fashioned from black and white ebony wood native to India and Southeast Asia. Underneath the rim cap lies a condensation chamber marked by Sabina's exquisite attention to detail — though hidden by the cap, the bowl's rim has been beautifully polished and contrast stained, testifying to the Portuguese carver's dedication to perfection. For the color palette, Santos has allowed the black and white ebony's ink-hued grain pattern to inform the rest of the piece, pairing it with a dark sandblast and pale ferrule of bamboo at the shank end. From the carefully stained inner rim to the carbon fiber tenon to the gorgeous presentation and shaping, Sabina spared no expense of time and diligence in this beautiful piece.