As a costume maker, a material that I´m very exited about is Beetlewing. Beetlewing art it´s an ancient craft technique traditionally used in Thailand, Myanmar, India, China and Japan, for embroidery, jewelry and decorations. Because of the small life span of the beetles, it’s possible to use the wings without killing the insect by collecting the wings of the already dead bugs.
Embroidery examples:
Jewelry examples:
There are many historical costumes out there which were embroidered with this technique. Have a look at this magnificent robe worn by actress Ellen Terry in 1888 performing her role as Lady Macbeth. The original has been restored by Zenzie Tinker to its former glory. If you want to know more about this project click HERE.
There are also movie costumes made with Beetlewing art, like one of the dresses of Ravenna from “SnowWhite and the Huntsman”
