Wesley Fleming , artist

Stag Beetle with Ember Marble - 2008, Effetre glass
beetle about 2.5" x 2" x 0.75", marble about 0.75" diameter

In eastern Europe the stag beetle (Lucanus cervus) had a reputation for fire raising. The males were thought to carry glowing embers with their large mandibles to a thatched roof and were also believed to attract lightning. Turkish good luck charms use the male jaws to ward off evil.