Snowy Snail
One day, my sons asked where a snail hibernates and what it does in winter.
Thus, a fairytale was born: the snail hibernates in its house, and when it gets sad or cold, it wishes for snow. It waits to see large flakes fall slowly at night, and during the day, to see the snow sparkle with all the colors of the rainbow!
In this composition, the snail is a symbol of patience and the unhurried passage of time. It is not merely hiding from winter but is “frozen in anticipation of a snowfall,” just as in the story. This is a metaphor for the deep, internal life and meditation in expectation of a miracle, the pause that nature takes in winter.
The Shell (A Cosmos of Winter Night): The snail’s shell is transformed into a magical artifact. I used a natural empty shell, covering it with blue Urushi lacquer and particles of mother-of-pearl. This is not just a “house”—it is an allegory for the winter night sky. The snail carries the beauty of winter within itself: its dream of snow materializes on its shell, sparkling “like snow in the sun.”
The Winter Peony Petal (Kan-botan): The stand is a peony petal carved from a piece of fossil mammoth tusk and lacquered with blue Urushi. This is perhaps the most powerful symbolic element. “Winter peonies” (Kan-botan) exist in Japan, blooming despite the frost, and caring gardeners protect them from snow with straw huts. This is the ultimate symbol of resilience, indomitable life force, and beauty that defies all adversity.
By joining these images, it is a metaphor for how patience (the Snail), resting on a foundation of inner resilience (the Winter Peony), allows one to find an entire universe of beauty (the shimmering shell) even in the coldest season, internal magic.
Materials: Natural snail shell, Japanese Urushi lacquer, mother-of-pearl, fossil mammoth tusk.
Cord: Woven from threads of different blue hues, symbolizing a winter palette.
Dimensions: Snail height – 3 cm, length – 4 cm.
Publication: International Netsuke Society Journal, volume 42, number 2,
2022. Private collection, Portugal.
