Werner Mummert has long made the Barrel a signature shape of his, rendering a number of the minimalist form through the course of his career. The configuration has often changed, with some housing Reverse Calabash chambers within, while on others removing the cap at the stem side of the piece has revealed a series of happy miniature people inside. Removing the stabilised maple burl that makes up the cap of this particular piece reveals a standard mortise-and-tenon configuration, with Werner's signature and maker's stamp displayed in the depression below — removing the need for the usual smooth section of briar reserved for such stamps and leaving more room for an exceptional sandblast and the resulting tactile feel in hand.

— Adam M. O'Neill