Werner Mummert: Sandblasted LEGO Poker Tobacco Pipe

Enigmatic and entirely original, the work of Werner Mummert is truly singular, the German artisan's four decades of experience as an engineering technician contributing to a style that's painstakingly precise and features expert drilling. Mummert's start in the pipe-carving craft was fostered by his longing for more pipes and his relative lack of funds, buying a carving kit which he shaped with files and a Dremel, his pipe-smoking friends then contacting him to ask for their own thanks to his good work. Much of Mummert's inspiration lies outside of the pipe world, instead centering around modern art, Werner attending art or photo exhibitions as often as he can to find new sources of influence. This is something reflected well in his work and in this LEGO Poker, though the most immediate inspiration behind this pipe is something else entirely.

Yes, as its namesake would suggest, this architectural pipe takes direct influence from the Danish brick-based construction toy. The reminiscence is immediate thanks to a number of design choices, most notably the pegs which mark the top of the shank and the rim, each one precisely carved to the same diameter and resembling individual LEGO pieces stacked and assembled to create a pipe. Such an aesthetic is achieved through ample use of small, measured channels that add stylistic separation between the individual "bricks" that make up the stummel. The form of this pipe itself is rather compact, coming in at just over four and a half inches in length, though its reserved presence is magnified by the striking height of the bowl. At two inches tall, the bowl here truly towers above the rest of the composition, and both it and the shank take on a paneled, rectangular look that's extremely firm and muscular. A flattened base makes this piece a fantastic Sitter, though this underside holds one of the most impressive elements of this pipe's shaping: a fully realized brick block base that allows this pipe to interlock with another of its kind, should you find one, and which corresponds to the correct dimensions of actual LEGOs. Werner has dressed this piece in a shallow, understated sandblast that reveals some handsome grain, though keeps the surfaces rather soft compared to many of his other sandblasted works. In addition, each of the "bricks" has been colored in a lively, vibrant pattern that's complemented by a slim saddle stem of jet-black vulcanite.