[Ko Baas]

Here are some carvings I made recently. After my previous post (Stag antler netsuke) I wasn't able to carve for a few weeks because I got a neck hernia. Very painfull.
But it gave me time to think about my carving. I decided to try more own designs and less copying old netsuke.(Not giving that up completely)
These works are not designed on paper but developed while carving. I think netsuke are very typical Japanese, so these netsuke also are looking Japanese. (I hope!) So all the credit for the designs goes to all Japanese artists, living or dead, who ever did anything similar.

First I did a tonkotsu. (Tobacco container) About 7x8x5 cm. Made from a burl, I think of beech wood. The lid is cherry wood. The inlaid snail is made of two colors horn. The ojime is kingwood and the netsuke is a boarstooth with a snail in two colors horn again.




This snail on driftwood is made of African Blackwood. 6 cm long. Forum member Hako gave me the idea for the use of the wood in this way. He also did a snail in a piece of the same wood I gave him. Ofcourse the use of this two colored wood has been done by others before.
The netsuke is from one piece of wood, the driftwood is from the black heartwood and the snail is from the yellow sapwood. Difficult to carve, the sapwood is coarse grained and the heartwood is very hard.





The half dried salmon netsuke I made from a small goats horn I had lying around for some time. I have never seen a goats horn netsuke before.
Also some pictures of th horn before carving. I let as much as possible of the horns exterior intact. The netsuke is 7 cm long.






Comments are welkom, thanks for looking.

Ko

[Robert Mayo]

Nice work Ko i realy like the salmon.

Bob

[sergio]

Hi Ko, happy to see you again. I like your tonkotsu. Carving netsuke is very interesting, but, i think it's better to do all, the netsuke, the ojime, the inro , like you do.

[tsterling]

Excellent work, Ko! I especially like the salmon, but then again, I'm very partial to dead fish...

[lauri]

sergio, on Dec 20 2009, 03:53 PM, said:

Hi Ko, happy to see you again. I like your tonkotsu. Carving netsuke is very interesting, but, i think it's better to do all, the netsuke, the ojime, the inro , like you do.

Stop saying that you are sorry for copying! You are so talented as a carver that you can make your own decisions and be your own master. That small fight you were having can't be a reason to quiet making what you wish!? If you like to make something that has been done by someone somewhere somehow, who cares, as long you share the items with us! I am not here to see things that are made and designed by Big Brother or a committee. I like individuals and a controlled anarchy. (Controlled meaning your own good taste and sense of humor). Lauri.

[lauri]

lauri, on Dec 20 2009, 07:03 PM, said:

Stop saying that you are sorry for copying! You are so talented as a carver that you can make your own decisions and be your own master. That small fight you were having can't be a reason to quiet making what you wish!? If you like to make something that has been done by someone somewhere somehow, who cares, as long you share the items with us! I am not here to see things that are made and designed by Big Brother or a committee. I like individuals and a controlled anarchy. (Controlled meaning your own good taste and sense of humor). Lauri.

Sorry, I was meaning this to Ko, my mistake! Lauri.

[Janel]

Hi Ko,

Thank you for the photos of the various pieces. The bi-colored woods offer carvers a very interesting composition challenge. I have enjoyed using these woods, and am pleased to see your snail and driftwood. Did you put a stain on the yellow part, the snail, and did you do anything to the black wood? Is it Ebony or African Blackwood?

My favorite is the finding the dead fish in the goat's horn. A severe expression with the less finished surface is quite expressive, and presents a thoughtful solution for the horn and subject.

The tonkotsu sagemono is quite an accomplishment. I would like to see this one in person, but the photos will have to do. Have you had opportunities to look at tonkotsu? I have been intrigued by them, but have never taken the first step to carving one.

Thank you again for showing us these new pieces.

Janel

[Dick Bonham]

Hi Ko,
Beautiful work. I also love the Tonkotsu. Here is an interesting piece I picked up last week.
Dick

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[Ko Baas]

Thank you all for your comments.

Lauri, don't worry. I carve only for my own fun. So I make only things I like in the way I want.

Janel, the snail is African Blackwood. I didn't color it. The poures of the yellow sapwood got filled with polishing powder, which is a nice effect I think.
I have a few old tonkotsu but very simple ones. And I have netsuke books which show some. I had this small burl for some time. The position of the lid is the spot where it was growing on the tree once. The overall burl shape is kept intact.

Dick, that is a realy fantastic tonkotsu! Very,very nice indeed! Is it carved and than lackered? With inlays I see.
It deserves a nice Minko tiger netsuke!!

Ko

[Leon]

Hi Ko,

"I think netsuke are very typical Japanese, so these netsuke also are looking Japanese. (I hope!) So all the credit for the designs goes to all Japanese artists, living or dead, who ever did anything similar."

That's fine with me although there is a lot to say about it.
Your snails are very different from each other. The one on the tooth looks more or less natural to me, the others look more like (japanese) pictures of snails.
That is no problem but you have to be aware of these differences when you start exploring your own style. (And I still want to push you to do so! )

Hope your neck is okay.

'Met groeten...'

[Alice]

hello ko,

nice works. one thing; i think your initials on the salmon is a little big. for me the carving seems smaller than the 7 cm. you mentioned.

regards, alice.

[Ko Baas]

Interesting observation Leon. I made them as individual pieces. It would indeed have been nicer if the one on the tooth looked more like the one on the tonkotsu. And there are more aspects to these carving to consider. The tonkotsu needs a flat relief snail, I believe. The wooden snail was limited in hight by the material, thats why its a bit flattened. The snail on the tooth didn't have those limitations, so it is made more natural as you mentioned.

My neck is fine now, thank you.


Alice, I don't understand why you think the carving is smaller than 7 cm. Perhaps this picture wil help!




Regards, Ko

[Alice]

hello ko,

i believed you about the size, but the overall appearance is infected by the size of the initials. i think the piece would benefit from a smaller signature.
but I still like it.

regards, alice

[Ko Baas]

OK Alice, I understand it now. Something to keep in mind.

Regards, Ko

[Brian Chan]

I love how you used the natural shape of the horn for the salmon!