Spring Idol

I found this deity in the more remote corner of the park where the snow was still covering the ground. The makers have been rather small in stature, since it measured only half a metre tall. Moreover, the area was covered with prints of tiny footwear.

The facial features of the idol have clearly been shaped to resemble an owl. The crude stub of a right wing is still in place, whereas a hole on the side of the figure shows that the left limb may have been removed for some obscure purpose.

The birdlike object is facing north, which represents the builders' lament of the changing season and probably expresses the belief that another white winter will come.