An ordinary toad
Is sitting quietly…
There is something to learn from this.
S. O.

I gave the name "The meditation" to this netsuke. The toad really knows how to meditate. It is simply sitting, simply breathing, simply observing. But do not be fooled, that it is asleep. If something will be fluttering about as a light-hearted dragonfly, the toad will catch it! And eat it! Then, again, toad will be simply sitting…

This piece represents one of my "old" works. Working on this figurine I first tried to apply the "ukibori" technique. Initially, the toad did not have inlayed eyes. They appeared as shapes. However, after the toad visited the Karadag preserve (zapovednik) in Crimea and took a swim in Lyagushach'ya (Frog) bay, I decided to make the toad look sunnier and more alive. I liked the amber eyes on the toad so much, that for most of my netsuke figurines I inlay amber eyes now.