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 Meet
the Artist: Janel Jacobson
It's
a Small World After All
It could be said of Janel Jacobson that she
sees things in a very small way. For one thing, she looks for the world that many
of us pass by without seeing: The leaf curled in on itself, the tiny frog clinging
to a twig, the tree cricket flattened against a day lily. It is apt, then, to
see the tiny details if you are carving netsuke and ojime, like Janel does. Netsuke
and ojime, though now often thought of as highly desirable collectibles, were
originally very practical items worn with traditional Japanese garments.
A tiny snail crawls on the shell of a larger snail. Boxwood and Baltic
Amber.
(#317 - 1999) 1.6 x 1.13 x .75 inches
| Since
these garments had no pockets, pouches were carried. The netsuke is the toggle
that tucks up into the obi (the sash) the ojime is the cord-tightening bead with
a small hole drilled straight through. Both are "very small and bead-like,"
often less than 2 inches in diameter. Classical netsuke and ojime often borrow
themes from the Japanese zodiac, folklore, and myths. Living in rural Minnesota,
Janel seldom has to look beyond her own backyard for her nature-inspired work. Out
of the Clay and Into the Wood
Apple Blossom
An apple blossom is carved in shallow relief
on the lid of this small manju style netsuke. Mammoth Tusk and African lackwood.
(#327
- 2000)
1.2 x 1.2 x .3 inches
| In
the beginning, Janel was a potter. In 1990, she began to carve porcelain netsuke
and ojime in addition to creating shallow relief carving on bowls, boxes, and
vases. In love with the detail of netsuke and ojime, she started attending netsuke
conventions. The more she worked in porcelain, the more frustrated she became
with its limitations. "At
first, I started arguing with myself about glazing. Then, I regretted having to
commit the (carved pieces) to the fire. The
frustration mounted until, in 1993, she started carving a piece and it cracked.
It was a good friend who may have unwittingly helped Janel turn the corner to
carving in wood by sending her a piece of boxwood. She came up with the subject,
Tree Frog and Spring Apple, and the rest, as they say, is history. Janel enjoys
the "carvability" of wood and the detail that can be achieved in hardwoods
versus porcelain. She is still learning about wood, and takes joy in discovering
what she can get out of it. She also finds things in wood, like "the suggestion
of water" that isn't available in porcelain. Continue
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