The first smoking pipes were discovered in Egypt with the mummies, and to this day, archaeologists aren’t sure if they were used for smoking or for something else. In 2000 BC pipes were made of copper, and as time went by, people began carving them out of wood.
Nowadays, the usage of pipes is not so widespread as it used to be. However, that didn’t stop Italian artist Arcangelo Ambrosi from making them. The 33-year-old Bari-based sculptor and wood lover creates tobacco pipes that have simple, elegant, bizarre, and surreal shapes.
“The wonderful and natural textures of the wood, so different and unique in the various species, become a tool to play with the perception of consistency, and can simulate the skin of a frog, or the shell of a snail,” the artist shared on his website. He then added that for him, wood is not only a medium but the protagonist, with its characteristics and possibilities.
If you are into pipes, scrolling through his Instagram gallery is a must. If not, you should still check out his wooden pieces of art because they are so beautiful and unique that you might want to commission one for yourself!
