Andrey Kharitonov Smooth Blowfish Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

Andrey Kharitonov is, to my eye, one of the most innovative artisans in pipe-making today. Born in 1961 in the former Soviet Union, Kharitonov’s work has been inspired by a number of his compatriots in the artisan scene, such as Victor Yashtylov, Misha Revyagin, and Alexey Kharmalov. Like the latter, Kharitonov frequently experiments with novel shapes, textures, and stains, creating pipes that are instantly recognizable as his making.

As with an estate we had a while ago, this is one of Andrey’s striking renditions of the modern “blowfish” shape. Similarly to that pipe, this one eschews the typically organic quality of the blowfish by adding panels and lips where simple curves would otherwise be, taking the shape in a direction that could be compared to cubist architecture, or other modernist art and design movements. This particular Kharitonov shows even more maturity than his previous studies in the form, and is completed by a fossilized mammoth ferrule and cumberland stem. As I’ve said before, the blowfish has been around for decades at this point, and it might sometimes feel as though it’s difficult to do anything new with it. Andrey’s blowfishes, on the other hand, appear to do just that.

 

Details:

Length: 5.2″ / 132.0mm

Bowl Width: 0.75 / 19.05mm

Bowl Depth: 1.22″ / 30.98mm

Weight: 2.0oz / 58g