Obituary | Master and apprentice

Obituary: David Esterly died on June 15th

The master wood-carver, devoted to the style of Grinling Gibbons, was 75

IT MIGHT HAPPEN at any time of day. David Esterly would be at his workbench, gouge in hand, when he felt the breath on his shoulder. The voice would say: “I wouldn’t do it like that,” or “I’ve made a leaf curl that way before. Why are you bothering?”

This article appeared in the Obituary section of the print edition under the headline “Master and apprentice”

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