Wandi Riyadi: Smooth Acorn Sitter with Horn Tobacco Pipe

In 2011, while working as an IT engineer, Indonesian native Wandi Riyadi began smoking a pipe and became enamored with the hobby and all that it entailed. He soon tried his hand at making a pipe, and before long, he was obsessed. He eventually left his job and became a full-time pipe maker, leaving behind his previous career to chase his creative interests. One of Indonesia's few pipe makers, Ryadi has established himself as an artisan of note and garnered an international audience of discerning collectors. His work takes inspiration from highly influential masters, like the Ivarssons, Bo Nordh, and Hiroyuki Tokutomi, and as such, his work is often highly organic, though he does craft more conservative pieces as well. This Acorn Sitter showcases Riyadi's deft ability to craft unique forms in a distinctive and eye-catching fashion.

A handsome design, this piece features a tall, voluptuous bowl that flares from its protruding, spur-like heel to its broad, rounded rim. The aforementioned heel is flattened at its base, enabling the entire composition to sit stably without the aid of a pipe stand. Out back, a trim shank emerges from the low-set transition and reaches high toward the aft, before giving way to a flared ferrule of horn and a demurely curved saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite. The horn accent lends a touch of vibrant color to the pipe's otherwise reserved palette, while the gently arced stem provides a touch of gesture to the form and promotes a comfortable smoking posture. Though less than five inches long, this piece is rather muscular, offering plenty of substance for the fingers to embrace and a broad canvas to showcase the stummel's finish. Said finish takes the form of a smoky brown stain and a glossy smooth polish, both of which work in concert to highlight gorgeous birdseye across the bowl's flanks.