Saturday, October 3, 2009

Golden spider silk woven artwork

 This is so amazing - I am at a loss for words - so I'm using the words of these articles.  In Madagascar  - they learned how to MILK spiders  to make threads - to weave into  this work. 


Spider Wranglers Weave One-Of-A-Kind Tapestry   :  by Christopher Joyce

Here's just a clip from the must read article:  released on September 27, 2009 found on NPR's website
I took this from and you can find this article at:  http://www.npr.org/templates/story/story.php?storyId=113223398 
 

"  This week in New York, the American Museum of Natural History unveiled something never before seen: an 11-by-4-foot tapestry made completely of spider silk.  Weavers in Madagascar took four years to make it, and the museum says there's no other like it in the world.


Two Nephila madagascariensis spiders that were used to create the golden tapestry.
Golden orb spiders
Simon Peers and Nicholas Godley

"  Two Nephila madagascariensis spiders that were used to create the golden tapestry.
It's now in a glass case at the museum. The color is a radiant gold — the natural color of the golden orb-weaving spider, from the Nephila genus, one that's found in several parts of the world.
Simon Peers, a textile maker who lives in Madagascar, conceived the project. Weaving spider silk is not traditional there; a French missionary dreamed it up over a century ago but failed at it. The only known spider silk tapestry was shown in Paris in 1900 but then disappeared."


So not only is the Natural History Museum the most beautiful place in the planet - it also is home to this amazing work .  One Million 623 thousand worth of spiders making silk - that's GOLD.  What beauty - and I'm torn at moments.....  is this right?   







(there's an AMAZING video - don't hit the arrow - I just wanted to show a full shot - but if you want to see this fantastic video (*and also where I got these images from for honesty's stake...

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