Description
This pipe in the form of a tall bird is made up of a number of thrown and modelled forms, assembled into a one-piece water pipe. I glazed this pipe in my favorite silky white satin glaze, and though it seems to be a simple porcelain glaze at first glance, a closer examination reveals a great deal of complexity in the way this microcrystalline glaze flows and gathers over the contours of the pipe. This pipe is a fairly large pipe, but because of the way it is built, with a goblet-like base, it is very pleasant to hold, despite its size.
Clay pipes have a very long history; examples from thousands of years in the past can be found in museums around the world. But they are rarely to be found in the work of contemporary potters, which is a great shame, in my opinion. High-fired porcelain is particularly well-suited to pipe making, as it is fully vitreous and is as impervious as glass to soaking up unpleasant odors. It can be cleaned in any way that a glass pipe can be cleaned. Each of my pipes is made individually by hand, and is therefore completely one-of-a-kind.
Each pipe comes with two high-fired porcelain screens made to fit the bowl, and these are far better for a smoker’s lungs than the metal screen often sold with commercially produced pipes. The porcelain is completely non-reactive and will not erode with use. Screens may be cleaned by soaking in alcohol or other solvent. With care they should last a lifetime.
This piece, like all my work, contains no lead or other toxic elements, and is food-safe, microwave safe, and dishwasher safe.
This pipe was inspired by the many effigy pipes made and used by native cultures in the Americas.
Reviews
There are no reviews yet.