SNAILS

HARE AND MOON
17 images
I want to present You a two-part netsuke, Hare jumping out of a snail shell, using the Maki-e technique on the snail shell there is a spiral of eggshell with hieroglyphs denoting zodiac animals, the Hare jumping out of an endless spiral to become a symbol of the next New Year! On the snail there is also a piece of the Moon with a silver Hare and of course a fan with two running bunnies. Next year is the year of the Hare or Rabbit, the year of family and home comfort, warmth of relationships, love and joy! The sizes of two-part netsuke are 4.8 cm tall, the size of snail shell is 3.5 cm across, the diameter of black wood stand is 5.1 cm across, its thickness is 0.5 cm. Available for purchase.
RED SNAIL WITH 7 FANS
15 images
The fan is beautiful in itself, the fan gives coolness in the summer heat, the geisha dances with the fan, and the coquettish snail took 7 fans for good luck. Snail: red Urushi, red Kanshitsu, 7 fans and 7 different Maki-e. 7 fans – 7 different technicues of Maki-e: 1.Eggshell – Rankaku. 2.On the blue Urushi I painted blue waves and sprinkled them with silver Nashiji - tsukegaki. 3.On a black fan, I made stripes of katagami using a silver Nashiji, on top of a bamboo branch painted with gold Marufun. 4. I drew peonies on the pieces of mother-of-pearl – mijingai oki ji and sprinkled them with gold Nashiji flakes. 5.Ducks on a silver background made with tin powder - suzu using Sumie togidashi technique 6."Deer skin" - kanoko - large silver Hiramefun coarse circles on the gold Nashiji flakes. 7.On the secon black fan I added gold Nashiji flakes. Snail dimensions: height 4.6 cm, length 4.2 cm. Red braided cord. A white rose petal with red veins is the stage for the dance of the snail with fans. The petal is carved from a piece of mammoth tusk, red Urushi and silver Hiramefun, 6.3 cm x 5.8 cm. Published in the International Netsuke Society Journal, volume 42, number 2. Available for purchase.
SNOWY SNAIL
12 images
In ancient times, snails were considered the most fertile of all animals and gods of water and might be asked to send rains. Once my children asked where the snail hibernates and what does it do in winter? I had to come up with a little fairy tale that a snail hibernates in its house and when it gets sad or cold, it asks for snow to fall in large flakes and slowly fall at night, and during the day for the snow to sparkle with all colors! Winter is a very beautiful season! Inspired by my fairy tale, I created a Snow Snail. I used an empty shell, Japanese Urushi and mother-of-pearl. I carved a peony petal from a piece of fossil mammoth tusk and added some blue Urushi. It turned out a wonderful netsuke - the snail froze in anticipation of a snowfall on a peony petal, and its shell sparkles with all colors like snow in the sun. A peony petal is a table stand for netsuke - in Japan, some varieties of peonies bloom in winter and caring Japanese steal them from the snow with straw huts. The cord is woven from different blue threads, winter palette. Snail height - 3 cm, length 4 cm. Published in the International Netsuke Society Journal, volume 42, number 2. 2022. Portugal, private collection.
THE WHITE RABBIT
15 images
White Rabbit from Wonderland through the Looking Glass. Reading "Alice's Adventures in Wonderland" and "Alice Through the Looking-Glass" to children, I got the idea of netsuke, the White Rabbit jumping out of Wonderland through the Looking-Glass, and the hole as a portal between these fascinating countries. there is a two-part netsuke, The White Rabbit and the hole transforming into a chessboard from a snail shell. The White Rabbit is carved from a piece of mammoth tusk, the eyes are inlaid with mother-of-pearl, red lacquer for the pupil and pinkish acrylic glass, the length of the Rabbit is 3.6 cm. Urushi, Takamaki-e fan: Kanshitsu, golden Marufun, maximum shell size 3.8 cm. Netsuke stand - ebony disk with the image of the Moon - silver Hiramefun and green clover leaves - Kanshitsu, diameter - 5.2 cm, thickness 0.5 cm. 2022. Available for purchase.
WICKER SNAIL
12 images
Walking through the woods, you can find many interesting ideas. Empty snail shells look like abandoned houses. With a little imagination and a lot of work, an abandoned house looks like a captive basket with autumn vine leaves, a curious snail explores its captive house, a red and white rose petal looks like a luxurious pedestal. A riot of autumn colors, leaves and bunch of grapes, Indian summer and pleasant memories ... The wicker pattern on the shell is made with the help of Kanshitsu - small grains of dried yellow colored Urushi, red Urushi, gold Marufun. Braided cord inserted into Himotoshi. The motley white and red petal of the autumn rose with gold Nashiji flakes echoes the riot of the autumn palette. Snail dimensions: 3.9 cm x 4 cm. Petal dimensions: 6 cm x 5 cm. Published in the International Netsuke Society Journal, volume 42, number 2. Available for purchase.
NIGHT SNAIL
6 images
The Japanese believed that the snail could cause rain. Spring rain is a good harvest! A snail writes poems on its shell and iris petal with raindrops. Buson, Hokku harusame ya On spring rain. 春雨や小磯の小貝ぬるゝほど harusame ya koiso no kogai nururu hodo In the rains of spring Tiny shells, like pebbles, Glisten wet. Netsuke Night Snail: snail shell, Japanese varnishes: black matte Sumiko-Urushi, glossy Kuro-nakanuri-Urushi, black translucent Roiro-Urushi. Snail length 4.6 cm, height 2.9 cm. The black iris petal is carved from ebony, the size of the petal is 5 cm x 4.9 cm. On the petal is a small snail - Takamaki, Japanese Urushi, gold, silver. Japanese characters are written in glossy Kuro-nakanuri-Urushi. Published in the International Netsuke Society Journal, volume 42, number 2. Available for purchase.

SHISHIAIBORI NETSUKE