Smooth Tomato with Bamboo (Hiro) (with Tamper and Stand) Tobacco Pipe

Though not sold as a two-pipe set, this Tomato from Hiroyuki Tokutomi was fashioned in tandem with another, matching pipe — both accented with bamboo and coming complete with driftwood stands and boxwood tampers. They exemplify the legendary Japanese artisan's artful approach to pipe making, considering all elements as part of the pipe's artistic composition and, in this case, adding a stand and tamper to that composition.

This Tomato employs a number of conventional cues of Toku's, including bamboo and asymmetrical shaping. The bowl is plump and rounded, with the rim waving subtly as if gently molded from clay. Furthering that aspect is a softly dimpled section along the rim's aft side — as if Tokutomi had simply pressed his thumb into the briar — and a crisp facet framing the right flank — as if the pipe had been buttressed against a flat surface while being shaped. Such elements add a distinctly organic charm to this pipe, lending it a soft impression despite being fashioned from hard briar and offering plenty of characteristics to analyze. It's finished in a smooth, auburn stain for vivid grain definition, and the stain is complemented by the color of the driftwood stand, while the boxwood tamper matches the bamboo shank extension for visual balance and cohesion. Lastly, this piece received Toku's "Hiro" stamp, designating the Japanese master's highest grade.