Posted on 09/28/2009 6:30:35 PM PDT by Fred Nerks
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. Enlarge Simon Peers and Nicholas GodleyTwo 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.
Peers researched previous attempts, then teamed up with fashion expert Nicholas Godley to hire local weavers to try the near-impossible. "They did think we were insane," Godley says. "It was actually hard to find people who were willing to collect and work with spiders. I think most people are arachnophobes. I mean, I am, and they bite." The task of silking a spider starts with a small machine — designed centuries ago when the first attempts to silk spiders were begun — that holds the spider down.
"The spiders are harnessed ... held down in a delicate way," Godley says, "so you need people to do this who are very tactile so the spiders are not harmed. So there's a chain of about 80 people who go out every morning at four o'clock, collect spiders, we get them in by 10 o'clock. They're in boxes, they're numbered, and then as they get silked, about 20 minutes later, they get released back into nature."
A stunning golden tapestry woven from spider silk is unveiled at the American Museum of Natural History in New York City after four years of work — and the help of more than 1 million spiders.
Two Nephila madagascariensis spiders that were used to create the golden tapestry.
fascinating, thanks for the link Lucy
Dubai will order 100s of them.
Beautiful tapestry, but I would not want to handle those scary looking dudes. Spiders give me the heebie-jeebies.
I wonder what the tensile strength is... I bet they wouldn’t let me put in on an Instron to find out.
... completely off topic.
Check out this exquisite Tapestry.
Absolutely stunning.
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By weight I’ll bet it’s stronger than steel...
great story but remember visiting NPR makes your eyes bleed.
Careful now!
I stoned many a hairy old tarantula as a child — they were plentiful in the country where I grew up, and still are. I wonder if they spin webs. Still give me the creeps.
Beautiful and amazing. Thanks for the link.
Actually, this was the first time I ever saw one. He was crossing the road on the way back to our camp site, I wouldn't have harmed him....unless he wore out his welcome of course
Aaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaaa
runs screaming
Ping.
The only known spider silk tapestry was shown in Paris in 1900 but then disappeared.”
What are the odds that this one will disappear too?
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