A chisel-marked surface is only one part of reading a carved object. Tokyo’s Edo woodcarving specification distinguishes a sculpture in the round from relief, then changes the drawing, starting stage and finishing options accordingly.
Technique and structure
For a freestanding three-dimensional carving, the source calls for drawings of four sides; for high relief and other forms, it describes a drawing of the front surface. Wood selection considers the board’s outer and inner faces and grain. Rough, intermediate and finish carving are successive stages, but shallow relief and certain other work begin at the intermediate stage. Finishing is also qualified: sculpture in the round and high relief use a cut finish, while shallow relief and other work may use a cut finish or tokusa polishing. A blanket claim that the craft never uses an abrasive would erase that stated exception.
Read the form before the tool marks
The reference lists woods including keyaki, camphor, hinoki, sandalwood, paulownia and cherry. That is a range of traditional materials, not the identification of any unlabelled carving.
A useful maker description can connect the chosen wood, the type of relief and the finished surface. The same appearance in a small photograph cannot establish all three.
For international readers
Ask whether the work is in the round, high relief or shallow relief and how its surface was finished. This account provides neither a carving tutorial nor a maintenance specification.
Global shipping and buying
Current inventory and international delivery are unverified. No affiliate links are used.
日本語
江戸木彫刻：彫りの深さで変わる下絵と仕上げ
江戸木彫刻の技法では、立体彫刻は四面、厚肉彫刻などは表面の下絵を描きます。薄肉彫刻などは中彫りから始め、仕上げも立体・厚肉の削り仕上げに対し、薄肉などではトクサ磨きも認めています。「一切磨かない」と一括りにせず、作品の形と深さによる違いを説明します。