La figurine masquée

Beginners in sculpture often make the mistake of thinking that, to look finished, a piece must be smooth and highly polished, and so exclude some of the most expressive finishes that they could have chosen from. Instead it is important to understand that qualities of texture, tone, color, and exactness or sketchiness in the surface of sculpture allow the viewer to experience the finished work as if they are touching it or running a hand over its surface...
Some sculptors want to show the viewer that their work was made by hand, and leave traces of their efforts with a gouge, chisel, or saw. In the modern age, when many of the everyday items that surround us are made in factories and have an anonymous quality, it can be important to show that a piece was carefully and thoughtfully carved by an individual. The visible tool marks show energy lines and directions used in creating the piece, and have an expressive textural quality of their own.

The Sculptor's Bible, John Plowman