Handcrafted Pipes Carved and Painted to Perfection [Video]

The Catholic Pipe Company is the firm of artist Caleb C. Mitchell. From his workshop in Hebron, Nebraska, Mitchell produces ornately designed and precisely rendered images of Catholic saints. For him, it’s an act of veneration. Above is Saint Sebastian, who was martyred under Emperor Diocletian during approximately the year 288.

This inventive design is dedicated to Saint Joseph, husband of Mary and the archangel Michael. Why is there a nail driven into it? I am ignorant as to the reference, but impressed with the visual effect.

Saint Thomas of Aquino, the giant of medieval theology and Aristotelian though, appears remarkably lifelike when rendered on the small space offered by this pipe.