SNAKE AND FROG

SNAKE AND FROG Snake and Frog It would seem nothing unusual, but in the Japanese tradition, this couple often appears as part of a cool symbolic triad called Sansukumi (三竦み) - just like rock-paper-scissors, only in Japanese! This multi-layered "kimono" with a deep meaning and its own unique dynamics, the eternal dance of good and evil, opposing forces, where the weakling can unexpectedly fight back. Netsuke, these tiny masterpieces, have become an ideal stage for this motif. Imagine: a whole drama unfolds in such a miniature space! Many netsuke masters took on this "snake-frog" theme with pleasure. It turns out that a snake is not only a dangerous reptile, but also a symbol of wisdom, protection and fertility. And a frog is generally a talisman of luck, wealth and a safe return home. This motif can be understood in different ways: as a banal struggle for survival (who will eat whom), and as the eternal cycle of life and death, and as an allegory of the confrontation between the weak and the strong, and even as a reminder of the inevitability of fate. There may also be hidden irony or even a moral here: like, be careful and don’t mess with those who are bigger than you. It was my first time using black coral for my netsuke, it is a very beautiful raw material, its deep, almost mystical shade (in fact, the color of its internal skeleton varies from black to brown due to the unique elastic protein antipatin) combined with the shimmer of mother-of-pearl and the warm glow of amber in the inlay of the snake's eyes creates a truly mesmerizing effect, like the look of a wise and dangerous creature, and Japanese Urushi lacquers add color accents. I am very grateful to Nikita Strukov for this wonderful gift in the form of a couple of pieces of black coral! The scene with a frog hiding from a snake is a fairly common motif in netsuke, often symbolizing cunning, evasiveness, or even a game of fate, chance - will you be lucky or unlucky? Using amber for the frog and adding Urushi lacquers to bring it to life is a great idea, it makes the frog stand out against the black coral and the translucency of the amber conveys the frog's skin well. And the ojimi (a little thing on a cord) with a frog and two ants is almost a mini-performance! Ants, these little workers, usually symbolize hard work and perseverance. Maybe this whole company will remind someone of an old instructive story that happened a long time ago and will bring on a nostalgic mood. I remembered Basho's haiku: An old pond. A frog jumped into the water. A splash in the silence. I may have read something similar somewhere, but another haiku for "Snake and Frog" came to mind: Silence... The shadow of a snake flashed... There is no frog. The netsuke is 8.9 cm long, a fairly large piece, which allowed me to work out every detail, from the scales of the snake to the webbed feet of the frog. The inlay of the snake's eyes with mother-of-pearl, black horn and amber is not just a decoration, but a way to convey the depth and expressiveness of the look. This netsuke has a dual purpose, it can be used as a fudekake - a netsuke stand for three brushes or as a kiserukake stand for a smoking pipe. The 1.9cm long ojimi, made of fine ebony and decorated with a frog covered in yellow and black Urushi lacquer with the warm glow of gold Nashiji glitter, is another exquisite detail. 2025. Available for purchase.