Madao 3000

Madao 3000 is the alias Beijing pipemaker Wang Tieyuan (王铁原) uses on his work. Records give the maker's birth year as 1987; he came to pipemaking after a career in engineering. In the pipes he produces, the line of the generation that followed twentieth-century Scandinavian shape language sits side by side with the outlook of classical Chinese painting and poetry. What sets Tieyuan apart is measured asymmetry.

Workshop and Repertoire

Tieyuan makes his living from pipemaking, which requires him to devote part of his output to established shapes. Among buyers in China, the most sought-after molds are Danish-inflected variations on the dublin, acorn, apple, and brandy, contemporary readings of the Danish school tradition. This steady flow of work leaves the maker room to pursue his own interests.

Simplicity governs the finishes. Smooth pipes get a light natural finish, while sandblasts are done in burgundy, cocoa, or black; contrast staining and shape-distracting decoration are avoided. When ring-type stem or shank accents are used, they are not decorative but positioned as a point that draws the eye. Ebonite is the common stem material.