Madao 3000 Sandblasted Long Shank Dublin with Boxwood (New)

Madao 3000 is the pipe making moniker of Beijing-based artisan Wang Tieyuan. Inspired equally by post-Scandinavian giants, such as Hiroyuki Tokutomi and by classical Asian art and philosophy, Tieyuan’s work is focused on exploring themes such as asymmetry and motion in ways that are, nonetheless, balanced and harmonious. A strict minimalist, Tieyuan eschews contrast stains and fanciful adornments in his designs; instead, he most often employs simple matte or natural finishes, is sparing with his use of accents (if he uses them at all), and upholds, in each pipe he makes, the primacy of line, figure, and form.

Though he is personally inclined toward the more “freestyle” approach to pipe design, expressed in his asymmetric creations, Madao’s classic renditions, like this one, serve important purposes within his portfolio. Tieyuan is of the opinion that one cannot create novel, freestyle pipes without having a firm grasp on established designs, both traditional and modern. Further still—and on a more philosophical note—he is of the view that asymmetry must be understood in relation to symmetry, thus his classic designs act as counterpoints relative to the other pipes in his portfolio and to the pipes he has yet to make. Finally, his classics are, simply, very popular, in large part because of how expertly executed they are.

In this case, the design in question is a long shank Dublin in the vein of the late, great, Lars Ivarsson, though with the addition of a distinctive, “leaning” figure that both keeps the pipe interesting and will no doubt help in preventing undue rim charring. A featherweight despite its lengthy figure, the pipe is dressed in a deep burgundy, ring grain sandblast, accented with boxwood, and fitted with a black German ebonite mouthpiece.

Details:

Length: 6.6″ / 167.6mm

Bowl Width: 0.79″ / 20.06mm

Bowl Depth: 1.53″ / 38.86mm

Bowl Height: 1.72″ / 43.68mm

Weight: 1.2oz / 34g