J Mouton Sandblasted Tomato w/ Bamboo Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Born and raised in the small town of Gueydan, Louisana, Jason Mouton’s rise in the ranks of American pipe makers has been nothing less than meteoric—and for good reason. Having crafted duck calls since he was a teenager, Mouton’s first forays into pipe making began with carving tampers. Mouton’s unexpected and substantial successes with these handmade tampers encouraged and allowed him to purchase the equipment needed to create pipes themselves. Studying the works of renowned American artisans such as J. Alan, Grant Batson, and Jared Coles, Mouton gradually developed his own pipe making craft, which was furthered by his exchanges with Greek artisan Chris Asteriou. Today, Mouton’s works are some of the most sought after on the artisan market, a demand which he has responded to—and not unlike his beginnings in carving tampers—by reinvesting his successes into an unwavering advancement of his skills and technique.

J. Mouton’s aptly named “Bushido Series” is comprised of works that look to the far east in both their materials and their inspiration. Most often this involves the use of bamboo, a plant with especial cultural significance in Japan, in whose Feudal period the Bushido credo was born. But there is far more of a Japanese bent to a pipe such as this one than merely in its shank extension. Its slender, light, and low-slung figure recalls the various ways in which Japanese artisans have blended their nation’s own version of the “traditional” pipe—the kiseru—with currents in “Danish” design since the 1970s. For example, one might look to the works of Smio Satou, who helped bring Scandinavian pipe making to Japan during his time at Tsuge, and find commonalities. But, to my mind, the more appropriate point of reference in this example would be the late Hiroyuki Tokutomi—more specifically his variations on the theme of squat, plump bowls coupled with long and supple bamboo midsections and stems. Carefully constructed, Mouton’s homage to Japan has its mortise end stabilized with an integral, sterling silver ring and has, as a final touch, small pearls of polished bamboo lumber have been inlaid in the nodes of the shank extension itself.

 

Details:

Length: 6.7″ / 170.1mm

Bowl Width: 0.72 / 18.28mm

Bowl Depth: 1.00″ / 25.40mm

Weight: 1.6oz / 46g