This handcrafted linocut print is inspired by “Crescent Moon Bear,” a traditional Japanese folktale from the Indigenous Ainu people, centered on love, transformation, and kinship with the wild. The story follows a young wife whose husband returns from war profoundly changed—untamed, distant, and bear-like. Guided by a shaman, she undertakes a perilous quest into the wilderness to pluck a single whisker from a Crescent Moon Bear, discovering within herself the patience, resilience, and courage required to meet what has become unfamiliar without losing her own soul.

This folktale—retold in Women Who Run With the Wolves by Clarissa Pinkola Estés—speaks to themes of the wild feminine, devotion without self-erasure, deep psychological transformation, and the healing intelligence of nature. Rather than taming the wild, the story honors the ancient wisdom of listening, waiting, and meeting the animal self with reverence.

Carved and printed by hand, this linocut honors the bear as a liminal guardian, a powerful symbol of instinct, protection, hibernation, and ancestral strength. It is created for those who live storied lives—those drawn to myth, folklore, the wild feminine, and the reweaving of ancestral memory into everyday life.

Gift ideas: This makes a meaningful gift for lovers of folklore, mythology and fairytales; nature-centered homes and sacred spaces; therapists, artists and seekers; anyone reconnecting with ancestral stories and earth-based wisdom; a lover or spouse; a woman navigating transformation; bear lovers and wilderness souls; those healing after loss, war, or profound change.

Note: The “Crescent Moon” in Crescent Moon Bear refers to the pale crescent-shaped marking found on the chests of many Asiatic black bears, a detail rooted in both natural history and myth.

PRINT SIZE: 8" x 10"

PAPER SIZE: 10" x 12" or 9" x 12"

MATERIALS: This artwork is hand carved and hand printed with archival quality Cranfield safewash (non-toxic) ink on Arnhem 1618® Printmaking Paper which is 100% cotton, acid-free, pH neutral archival heavy weight printmaking paper with vellum finish imported from the Netherlands.

PACKAGING: This print will be carefully rolled in Kraft paper, packed in a recycled clear bag and shipped in a recycled cylindrical tube. A one-page insert including a description of the folktale is included with the print. Gift wrap is possible, please mention it in your note to seller.

SHIPPING: All my prints are packaged and shipped out within 1-3 business days. Free shipping for U.S. Customers. International customers, please purchase this print on Etsy. I no longer provide international shipping through this website.

Questions? Please contact me.

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