Partially Sandblasted Bent Dublin with Horn Tobacco Pipe

This design motif of smooth and sandblasted contrast, marked by a hard line about the transition, is a theme often seen from American artisans, with J. Alan, Todd Johnson, and Yeti coming especially to mind. The aesthetic hints back to the work of Lars Ivarsson, most notably his Cup and Ball motif, with today's carver's incorporating their own creativity into the theme. Here, Taiwanese carver Yuwei Huang utilizes the aesthetic on this bent Dublin. Though compact of overall length, the visual presentation makes this piece stand out as if it were twice as large. Hearty of proportions and muscular through the shank and insulating walls, the bowl is smooth and lightly contrast stained, while the shank is dark and sandblasted. Separating these two disparate finishes is a hard line around the transition that comes to a point at the heel. The design cue gives the impression that bowl and shank are two separate pieces, seemingly stuck together at the transition. To match this transitional ridgeline, Yuwei has decorated the shank end with a slender ring of horn — many other artisans would use silver here, and Huang's unique choice of horn makes for a more rustic presentation as well as a more rarely seen use of the material.