THE ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES
OF TECHNICAL HANDBOOKS
EDITED BY W. R. LETHABY
WOOD-CARVING: DESIGN AND
WORKMANSHIP
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ARTISTIC CRAFTS SERIES OF
TECHNICAL HANDBOOKS.
Edited by W. R. Lethaby
The series will appeal to handicraftsmen in the industrialand mechanic arts. It will consist of authoritative statementsby experts in every field for the exercise of ingenuity,taste, imagination—the whole sphere of the so-called "dependentarts."
BOOKBINDING AND THE CARE OFBOOKS. A Handbook for Amateurs, Bookbinders,and Librarians. By Douglas Cockerell. With120 Illustrations and Diagrams by Noel Rooke, and8 collotype reproductions of binding. 12mo.$1.25 net; postage, 12 cents additional.
SILVERWORK AND JEWELRY. A Text-Bookfor Students and Workers in Metal. By H.Wilson. With 160 Diagrams and 16 full-pageIllustrations. 12mo. $1.40 net; postage, 12 centsadditional.
WOOD CARVING: DESIGN ANDWORKMANSHIP. By George Jack. WithDrawings by the Author and other Illustrations.
In Preparation:
CABINET-MAKING AND DESIGNING. By C.Spooner.
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY, NEW YORK.
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WOOD-CARVING
DESIGN AND
WORKMANSHIP
BY GEORGE JACK
WITH
DRAWINGS BY THE AUTHOR
AND OTHER ILLUSTRATIONS
NEW YORK
D. APPLETON AND COMPANY
1903
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Copyright, 1903,
By D. Appleton and Company
All rights reserved
Published October, 1903
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EDITOR'S PREFACE
In issuing these volumes of a series ofHandbooks on the Artistic Crafts, it willbe well to state what are our general aims.
In the first place, we wish to providetrustworthy text-books of workshop practise,from the points of view of expertswho have critically examined the methodscurrent in the shops, and putting aside vainsurvivals, are prepared to say what is goodworkmanship, and to set up a standard ofquality in the crafts which are more especiallyassociated with design. Secondly, indoing this, we hope to treat design itselfas an essential part of good workmanship.During the last century most of the arts,save painting and sculpture of an academickind, were little considered, and there was[8]a tendency to look on "design" as a merematter of appearance. Such "ornamentation"as there was was usually obtained byfollowing in a mechanical way a drawingprovided by an artist who often knew littleof the technical processes involved in production.With the critical attention givento the crafts by Ruskin and Morris, it cameto be seen that it was impossible to detachdesign from craft in this way, and that, inthe widest sense, true design is an inseparableelement of good quality, involving as itdoes the selection of good and suitable material,contrivance for special purpos