Sanka with lotus

This miniature sculpture, carved from mammoth tusk (4.7 cm tall), is dedicated to the enigmatic Sanka people—unidentified inhabitants of Japan who lived in the mountains for centuries, resisting assimilation and government control. It is believed that the Sanka may be descendants of the Jōmon people—ancient inhabitants of Japan who maintained a connection to primordial freedom.
​The sculpture embodies the image of a Sanka girl, combining fragility with the untamed spirit of the mountain people. Her hair and makeup are rendered using Urushi lacquer, while the details of her kimono are crafted with a burning needle technique and tinted with the natural Yashabushi dye.
​In her hands, the girl holds lotus leaves—a symbol of purity and enlightenment. The lotus, which grows from mud and remains spotless, perfectly mirrors the Sanka people’s history: preserving their unique purity and freedom despite external pressure.
​This netsuke is an ode to resistance, the memory of ancestors, and the fragile beauty that remains free.

2014, ​Australia, private collection.