A method of carving in which a previously developed model is transferred into stone or wood by measurements, pointing, enlargement, or another system of reproduction.
Indirect carving is a method in which the final sculpture is produced from a previously developed model. Measurements are transferred from the model to the block by calipers, a pointing machine, enlargement systems, or other mechanical or measured procedures so that the carved work reproduces the model with controlled accuracy.
The method became central to workshop production, especially where sculptors relied on trained carvers to translate clay or plaster models into marble. It stands in contrast to direct carving, in which the final sculptural form is resolved through the act of working the final material itself.
Etymology
English descriptive term: indirect + carving, referring to carving mediated through a prior model and a transfer process.
Sculptor Notes
Indirect carving does not imply lesser skill. Traditional pointing demands highly trained carvers capable of interpreting measurements, leaving appropriate allowances, and finishing complex forms. The distinction is methodological: the principal form has already been resolved in another material before the final block is carved.
References
https://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Glossary_of_sculpting; https://tabularasa-shop.com/en/products/sculptures-pointing-machine-with-two-joints-pantograph-002040006