A dialogue with
smoke pipes
Pipes are almost always associated with elegant contemplation. People think of a Wiseman holding a pipe, with a thoughtful expression, a sudden realization, and a smile behind the faint smoke.
As a follower of Eastern civilization and an admirer of antiquity, I have been collecting and studying Eastern ancient jade and pottery for nearly 40 years. At the same time, I am also a user and maker of pipes. Since 2019, I have been studying pipe making, starting with copying works by Western pipe-making masters, who have given me great inspiration.
During the learning process, I have attempted to add elements of Eastern culture into the traditional forms of Western pipes, combining the simple forms of ancient Eastern artifacts such as jade, bronze, and pottery dating back to four to five thousand years ago with modern pipe designs. By contributing a new form to the pipe family, I hope to express my double respect for pipes and western and Eastern civilizations.
烟斗人生
喜爱烟斗的人，对烟斗眷恋极深，在享用和把玩中建立了极其特别的生命关系。当烟草燃烧时，从烟斗油然而生的是一位智者的深邃思考和人生慨叹。烟斗也映射出历史文化的变迁与融合。哥伦布发现新大陆之后，发现美洲印第安人用玉米芯制作的烟斗吸食烟叶，探险家们就把烟斗和烟草带到欧洲的文明世界。英国的工匠开始用石楠木制作烟斗，法国工匠则使用海泡石，直至18世纪烟斗文化在欧洲达到一个非常普及的高峰期，从贵族到平民都有着对烟斗和烟草的迷恋和享受。我对东方古玉器和古陶器有过近四十年的收藏和研究，同时又是烟斗的受用者和制作者。从2019年开始我潜心制作烟斗，首先在西方烟斗制作大师的路径上临摹学习。烟斗的结构在几百年来几乎没有变化，但是，在外观造型的路径上却产生了世界级的烟斗制作大师。进而，我试图在西方烟斗传统造型的基础上寻求融入东方文化古器物造型的可能性，如古代玉器、铜器和陶器的简约造型与西方现代烟斗造型相融合。由此，希望能为世界烟斗造型领域增添一些来自东方的文化元素和符号，为烟斗家族添加一丝可贵的新意。如果东方远古图示造型的烟斗能为使用者带来对历史文化深处的敬畏，进而面对文化融合的趋势又能持有无问西东的情怀，烟斗中就承载了我对历史的一份敬重。