Smooth Calla Lily with Mastodon Ivory Tobacco Pipe

As a writer (well, kind of, allow me my delusions) I intellectually understand that using attributes from another art form or collectible to speak about a subject at hand can border on the lame. Now make that other art/collectible one that hails from the same country as the artist being discussed? That border is erased, leaving the reader with the impression that they have stumbled upon a review written by the fourth staff writer of a high school newspaper; "Midori's performance at symphony hall was as sharp and polished as a Samurai sword!" But I hope you will bear with me.

About a decade ago, I was able to see a huge exhibit of the Faberge eggs that used to belong to the Romanov's. Until this very day, I still have a kid's excitement about seeing objects of such wondrous exterior beauty that contained things even even more wonderful within. Many of Alex's pipes stir up similar feelings when I go about exploring them. Even at a fast paced, macro view, this pipe's naturally inspired floral beauty and execution are both self evident and compelling, the overarching form is as lovely as the mastodon inlay is impeccable. Closer examination reveals a myriad of pleasing details like a subtle, underside ridge that perfectly mimics a botanical central vein, a delightful inter-folding of three distinct petals on the rim as well as Alex's uncanny ability to communicate a palpable sense of "soft" within such an unyielding material. Then, of course, there's the grain.

--Bear Graves