Oil, acrylic and iridescent paint on panel in bespoke handmade tabernacle wooden frame. 18x14x3.5cm. Contact us at info@louisemcnaught.com or the chat box for purchase details. 
In this Tiny Totem, the stag beetle becomes a guardian at the threshold — a small but formidable sentinel of the unseen. With its antler-like mandibles raised like a crown, it echoes the stag of ancient forests: a symbol of sovereignty, vigilance, and sacred authority. Though humble in scale, the stag beetle carries an armour of resilience. Its polished carapace reflects light like a shield, reminding us that true protection is not aggression, but spiritual fortitude, strength rooted in stillness.
The tabernacle-style frame itself elevates the symbolism. The frame transforms the painting from image to reliquary, from decoration to devotional object. It suggests that protection is not only external defence, but enclosure within something greater, a divine dwelling that surrounds and shelters.
Rooted in ancient folklore, stag beetles were once believed to ward off evil spirits and lightning. Here, that myth merges with sacred metaphor: the beetle becomes a pocket-sized guardian of thresholds, a reminder that even the smallest creatures can embody immense spiritual authority.