Partially Sandblasted Wasp with Mammoth (Double Wolf Paw) Tobacco Pipe

It's difficult to overstate the impressiveness of Wolfgang Becker's Wasp shape. The German artisan has been fashioning his signature shape since the late 1980s, and each rendition remains readily identifiable while at the same time revealing unique, individual aspects regarding size, finish, accenting materials, and subtly asymmetrical shaping elements. The basis for the form lies in its namesake, the raised transition and flaring shank calling to mind the profile of the insect after which it's named. This particular Wasp version presents those elements in dramatic style with the shank flaring considerably from the pinched transition to lend the bowl an especially perched posture.

The bowl itself presents an Apple-like roundness, filling the palm while still displaying a strong degree of forward momentum with the aft line angled forward to continue the dynamic motion of the slightly bent stem and subtly curved shank. Unlike some of his other Wasp renditions, this example remains symmetrical across the central axis, maintaining evenness across each side and instead allowing the dual finish to distinguish the piece: the bowl remains smooth and walnut-stained, while the shank is dressed in a dark sandblast to highlight the shank end's exotic mammoth accent.