Sandblasted Squashed Tomato with Briar Tobacco Pipe

Balancing a low-slung bowl against a wide, lenticular shank, this Squashed Tomato from Scott Klein is an exercise in playful proportions and tight-knit energy. At the rear of the piece we have a flaring shank-end with smooth briar as accent, complemented by the dark sandblast covering the rest of the stummel. The teardrop shank comes to a crisp edge at the right flank, wide and curling into a tucked transition on the upper edge, while the lower continues around until fading into the bowl's fore. What the bowl lacks in height it makes up for in breadth, its edges plump and palm-filling, giving thick, insulating walls to the broad, shallow chamber within. In hand, the deep sandblast offers a great deal of texture, and overall the piece is a great example of Scott's ability to balance a shape so that it feels utterly natural from end to end.

- Rachel DuBose