Smooth Tomato Tobacco Pipe

A compact and curvaceous Tomato, this composition highlights the organic shaping cues often found in Yuwei Huang's work in addition to the Taiwanese carver's gifted ability to extract beautiful grain from briar. I particularly appreciate the juxtaposition this piece presents, contrasting the bowl's soft, supple curves against the firm, crisp ridgelines that comprise the shank. If misshapen or handled poorly, the entire design would be thrown off, but thanks to Yuwei's deft craftsmanship, this piece is expertly executed and shaped spectacularly.

The bowl is squat and broad, its flanks bulging outward while the rim's concave orientation further emphasizes the bowl's width. The transition is impressively precise and required demanding skill and focus to get just right as the shank curves upward and nearly back onto the bowl's aft. Cheeking around the bowl's lower flanks supports its chubby character and make it all the more pleasing to cradle in hand. Just under four-and-a-half inches in total length, this is an easily portable design, and the grain this piece displays warrants admiration. The light, rich contrast stain ably showcases the briar's gorgeous grain while the mortise is reinforced by a brass inset ring, adding reinforcement before the stem curves upward to terminate in a gentle downturn.