Kuya 空哉 (Nakamura Takakazu 中村隆和), 1881-1961. Claimed to be 22nd generation of a line of carvers. Trained in carving okimono and did not work in netsuke until forty years old. His netsuke are marvels of intricacy and technical ingenuity, but the extensive undercutting and perforating tends to disqualify them from functional use. Figures with patterned clothing are minutely marked and contrastingly colored with urushi lacquer. Kuya taught only one pupil, his son Masatoshi.