Wicker Snail

When I was working on the “Wicker Snail” netsuke, I was meditating on autumn and the philosophy of wabi-sabi. I wanted to convey the feeling of fleeting harvest beauty through the patient image of a snail. It was a very personal, meditative process. I wasn’t thinking about exhibitions or publications; I was simply trying to have a dialogue with the material.
The cluster of grapes, filled with the autumn sun, the leaf touched by the first crimson blush, and the snail’s shell, artfully transformed into a wicker basket… if you look closely, you can see that the basket’s pattern is gently worn in places, as if by time. This is where a deeper theme reveals itself—the Japanese aesthetic of wabi-sabi (侘寂). It is the art of finding perfection in imperfection, of seeing true beauty in the traces left by time. This delicate wear is not a flaw, but a story of past cycles and the quiet poetry of a fading autumn. It is a reminder of the transience of beauty and an invitation to slow down, to see—like the snail—grandeur in the small and the eternal in the fleeting.
That is why its publication in the International Netsuke Society Journal (volume 42, #2, Summer 2022) became such a momentous event for me.

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. 

This original artwork is available for purchase.

To acquire this piece, please click the envelope icon (✉️) at the top of the page to contact me directly. I will provide an invoice and arrange the details.
​Payment: I accept payments via PayPal or direct bank wire transfer.
​Shipping: Your artwork will be shipped worldwide via DHL Express courier.
​Delivery: Estimated delivery time is 2-5 business days. A tracking number will be provided.