First, I have just discovered to my absolute HORROR that an embroidery website has mentioned a virus attached to last week's post (the freebie) Apparently the "virus warning" (whatever it was about) has now been removed, so people are now downloading the file with confidence. I have ABSOLUTELY NO IDEA what this was all about, and have received no message from blog readers about it, so maybe this "report-of-a-virus" was some sort of scam. I certainly knew nothing about it until I accidentally stumbled upon a mention of it on an embroidery website
Anyway, back to something more interesting.
I don't know how many people are familiar with netsuke, the little carvings that are used as toggles in traditional Japanese dress. There are countless numbers of different netsuke designs of all sorts of subjects, and I've recently spent a lot of time looking through them. It's particularly interesting to see designs and ideas from another culture, and although I can't honestly say that I like all the netsuke that I've seen, all the same they are a great source of inspiration. I particularly like their interpretation of animals, and have played around with embroidered versions of several of them. Here, for example, is a netsuke ram, carved in breathtaking detail
The netsuke ram
And here is an embroidered version of the same thing – not the same in every detail, of course, but modified to make good use of the new material. All in all I'm quite happy with my little ram and I'll keep looking for interesting netsuke for more inspiration
The netsuke-inspired embroidered ram
I saw the post about a virus warning, but it was after I had already downloaded the file and my software didn’t have a problem with it. Sometimes I think the virus protection software just goes nuts.
Hi Mia, I had never heard of netsuke art before now, but I love and admire the intricate details used to carve this piece into a tiny ram replica. It looks like it is carved from ivory. Your embroidered ram is awesome and you have really captured the ram’s locks of wool, the rams horns and facial features with your detailed digitizing.
Thank you for broadening my knowledge base – had never heard of netsuke before. So much beauty out there just waiting for us to discover it.
I didn’t get a virus warning and I do get them with my anti virus. ( I have ESET) The netsuke’s are very detailed and beautiflly carved. I did like your rendition of the ram.
Such lovely texture on this beautiful boy! He is rather handsome I must say!