Moon, Leaves and Moth

This work is not just a sketch; it is a philosophical haiku about the nature of time and the search for enlightenment.
​The composition is built on three key images. The Full Moon (Tsuki) is a symbol of purity, eternity, and the enlightened mind. The Moth (Ga)—a mystical messenger of the night, representing the soul on its path to truth—is instinctively drawn to it.
​But the soul (the Moth) makes its journey not in an ideal world, but in the real one. It rests upon eaten, decaying leaves (Kuchiba). This image is a direct embodiment of the Japanese aesthetics of Wabi-Sabi (the beauty of imperfection) and Mujō (impermanence). The leaves show that the beauty of life lies not in its permanence, but in its fragility and transience.
​Thus, the netsuke captures a profound moment: the soul, surrounded by perishable matter that is beautiful in its decay, contemplates the eternal light of enlightenment.
​The use of traditional Japanese lacquer techniques lends special value to the work:
​Coloring: Yashabushi (alder cones).
​Lacquers: Seshime-Urushi and Roiro-Urushi (high-grade black lacquer).
​Moth decoration: Maki-e technique (sprinkling powders onto lacquer) using gold Fundame, Koban and silver Fundame powders.
Baltic amber as an autumn rain drop.
​Materials: Mammoth tusk, Urushi lacquers, gold and silver powders, Baltic amber.
​Size: 2 inches (≈5.1 cm) in diameter, 1/2 inch (≈1.3 cm) thick.
​2008. Russia, private collection.