Material & Craft
The Material
Ruby in zoisite, also known as anyolite, is a natural rock composed primarily of green zoisite with red corundum crystals and commonly occurring dark mineral inclusions. This specimen displays a pronounced division between its red and green areas. The ruby-bearing portion forms the visual center, while the surrounding zoisite provides a contrasting green field. Variations in color concentration, boundaries, and inclusions are part of the material’s natural structure.
The Sculpture
The skull is positioned within the red-dominant area of the material, with its facial contours finished to a smooth polish. Green zoisite extends across the crown and sides, where it forms a serpent coiling around the cranium and a frog resting above it. Textured surfaces distinguish the two animals from the polished skull beneath them. The serpent’s curved body connects the upper figures to the skull, allowing the three forms to read as a single sculpture despite their strong color separation.
Form & Meaning
The three figures present different stages and expressions of life within one composition. A frog undergoes visible transformation during its life cycle, while a serpent periodically sheds its skin. These natural behaviors have led both animals to become associated with change and renewal in various cultural traditions. The skull introduces mortality into the same structure. Together, the forms create a compact study of emergence, change, and impermanence, reinforced by the material’s division between red and green.