Carving Netsuke The Miniature Sculpture of Japan: Ancient Traditions, Modern Methods

Tom Sterling

This book is not intended to teach you to carve rather, it is intended to teach you to carve netsuke. If you are a beginning carver, please refer to one of the many good books on basic carving techniques to learn how to properly use and sharpen your power tools, knives, and chisels. We will be exploring the techniques I have used successfully after several years of experimentation and self-teaching, as well as techniques from the Japanese masters themselves, albeit somewhat altered for modern tools and materials. Some of these techniques are fairly advanced, but I have no doubt that even a beginning carver can master them with some practice. Not every netsuke requires them all, so the beginner can produce good carvings without having to master all the advanced techniques. We will be using power tools for the majority of our work, but will also revert to knives and chisels for some tasks, especially in the finishing stages. Once you’ve mastered the techniques presented here, you’ll be able to apply them to any type of carving. Besides netsuke, I’ve used them to produce necklaces, decorated jewelry boxes, and carved walking sticks. There’s no end of eye-catching sculptural and decorative items you can produce.