Buddha Belly Bamboo Pipe

This unusually sinuous length of bamboo is known as "Buddha belly bamboo," named for each segment's resemblance to the ample gut of the Chinese monk Budai, often referred to as the "Laughing Buddha." Cultivated in southern China, Buddha belly bamboo is often formed into elongated pipes used for smoking tobacco or opium. Mounted horizontally on a custom steel stand, this late 19th-century bamboo specimen becomes a striking tabletop sculpture.