Xin Li Contrast Sandblasted Scoop Handmade Briar Pipe, New

Description

A graduate of industrial design and art history, Xin Li came to pipe-making by chance, after a mutual friend introduced him to the notable Chinese artisan Yang Zhimin. Xin and Yang quickly developed a rapport, in part because both had attended the prestigious China Academy of Art, and because both had an affinity for woodworking. Yang took Xin on as an apprentice in his workshop and, soon enough, this apprenticeship became a pipe-making partnership. For several years, Yang and Xin worked together in handcrafting pipes under Yang’s Zhiputang make. In 2019, Xin departed from the Zhiputang workshop and the partnership was amicably dissolved, with Xin moving on to create pipes under his own name, while Yang continued with Zhiputang.

This particular pipe shows off Xin Li’s talent for creating light and compact designs that are nonetheless full-figured and—to use a word that I find myself repeating when talking about his work—ripe. The pipe is a nosewarmer length scoop, not unlike those of the contemporary Danish and Danish-American schools, but trimmed down to something that should be easily clenched or stowed in one’s pocket when not in use. The finish is modest and subtle without being boring, taking the form of a ring grain sandblast and a brown/black contrast stain that looks even nicer in natural light.

 

Details:

Length: 4.8″ / 121.9mm

Bowl Width: 0.77 / 19.55mm

Bowl Depth: 1.36″ / 34.54mm

Weight: 1.5oz / 44g