Wandi Riyadi: Smooth Naga with Bamboo Tobacco Pipe

Since 2015, Smokingpipes has hosted the American Pipe-Making Exposition, celebrating the ingenuity and talent of artisan carvers across the United States. However, in 2024 the Exposition expanded to include all pipe makers around the world — the Global Pipe-Making Exposition, the first of its kind. Though broadened in participation, the Expo's format remained consistent with previous years: Artisans designed and fashioned pipes centered on a singular theme, distinct to each year, expressing the motif according to their own creative visions. For the first Global Pipe-Making Exposition, we returned to the Expo's very first theme: bamboo.

Renowned for his sculptural approach to pipe making and a portfolio of beautiful, artfully crafted pipes, Wandi Riyadi impresses with a highly realistic, figural pipe for the 2024 Expo. In Bahasa, an official language of Riyadi's native Indonesia, "naga" means dragon, and Riyadi has fashioned a pipe that perfectly suits such a name. Most impressive, though, is how well he has maintained the briar's natural grain pattern. Typically, when carving such a realistic and sculptural form, it can be difficult to stay true to the natural pattern of the grain. Riyadi has captured both realism and grain in this piece though. Easily identifiable as a dragon's head, the stummel is flanked by birdseye, with cross grain along the top, and Riyadi impresses with intricate line work that adds further detail and intrigue to the shape. In line with the Expo's theme, a one-of-a-kind bamboo accent extends the shank with eccentric, accordion-like knuckles that flow seamlessly into the matching, honey-toned vulcanite along the stem base. It's a beautiful piece that exemplifies Riyadi's skill and style.