Description Description. The tartan and the beetle-wing embroidery offer a wonderful cross-cultural dialogue in textile. DISCLAIMER: Frock Flicks claims no credit for images featured on this site unless noted. There is a bit of surviving correspondence between two English women in India from 1784, in where one was interested in commissioning “several pieces of the thickest muslin to be worked in some small pattern in the fly’s wing, and gold, a leaf or something of that kind.” Eventually the letter writer did not end up commissioning the beetle-wing embroidered dress, but opted for silk embroidery instead. An English family hangs out with Indian musicians. Customer Login / Register. They decorate not only bodice part, highlighting the small collar, but also appear on the bar at the long sleeves and cuffs. Eventually, more and more commerce grew around exported beetle-wing embroidered textiles. They have a beautiful iridescent colour, changing from blue to green depending on which way you look at … The children are cheerful and have adopted elements of Indian dress. painting, figure, hand, feather, gold. This site uses Akismet to reduce spam. She’s a fashion historian and archivist based out of New York City, where she got her MA in Fashion and Textile Studies at FIT. Bodice (detail sleeve) of a Beetle Wing dress 1865-1875. 1926, decorated with gold embroidery and beetle wings. The shimmering emerald colour is not a pigmentation but a result of the microscopic structure of the cases themselves, which naturally reflects green-blue light. The brilliance of beetle wings do not fade over time, perhaps adding to the mystical connotation of these insects. Discover (and save!) Well, that had everything to do with the colonization of India. Shoes, linen with gold and beetle-wing embroidery, 1790s, Bata Shoe Museum. She’s clearly worldly and cosmopolitan, since she casually wears exotic beetle wings. See details of every online item in National Trust Collections and check the Places tab to plan your visits. Several reticules in various stages of completion on different grounds. Elytra are the hard outer wing cases of jewel beetles. Tagsactual researchbuggin' outguest postharlotsharlots seriesHistorical Accuracynitpick alertomg embroideryRichard CookeTVwell actually. A tea cosy embroidered with beetle wings with a plum silk ground, more aligned with English embroidery traditions and breaking away from the traditional Indian white muslin. The wings of the beetle were collected after the beetle had died. Detail of beetle wing embroidery on white cotton gauze dress, embroidered in India for export, ca 1865. beetle wing embroidery of 1830-1832 Henry Art Gallery. See photos and get The Cut's perspective on the On Aura Tout Vu Couture collection, Beetle Wing Embroidered Gown, ca. Harvesting beetle wings is as easy as sweeping the forest ground — beetles swarm when they mate, then they die, and their bodies decompose quickly. From shop Littlewingsmagic. Very interesting and entertaining as well as learning about beetle wing embroidery. She travels around the world for costume events, academic conferences, and vintage hunting. In addition to working in the fashion industry, Leia also runs a consulting business helping museums with exhibition mounting and costume reproductions. See more ideas about Beetle wings, Gold work, Wings etc. Feb 8, 2015 - From the archives, an Object of the Day post on an example of iridescent design from the collection. 1783, oil on canvas, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid. After months of sea travel, letters, textiles, and other goods were subject to mold, shipwrecks, theft, destruction, and any number of other disasters. We have 36 in stock. See more ideas about beetle wings, embroidery, beetle. Britain. The National Trust here in the UK has a fabulous beetle wing Lady Macbeth costume worn by the actress Ellen Terry in 1888. 1863-67. also, must’ve been terrible to replace.. but then if you’re in the beetle wing embellishment crowd I suppose you can probably afford it? It is wonderful! 5 out of 5 stars (191) 191 reviews $ 13.98. the shimmer is incredible so I can see the appeal, but I don’t think I’d want to sew them on myself. In traditional Indian embroidery techniques, beetle wings appear to be universally embroidered along with rich metals, and are considered a feature of metalwork embroidery; in surviving examples of Indian beetle-wing embroidery, they are without fail accompanied by goldwork — beetle wings by themselves aren’t really a thing. Beetle-wings quantity. Date. ooh, really interesting! These beetle wing encrusted fabrics were created by local artisans on a small scale, but due to the growing trend in Europe, specifically England, of collecting "exotic goods" from the far corners of their Empire, larger industry centers were needed. Crafting Scrap-booking Wedding Dress Embellishment Littlewingsmagic. Johan Zoffany, “The Impey Family Listening to Strolling Musicians,” ca. They are kind of like cutting fingernails. Stay safe and healthy. Did the artist/journalist run out of steam and didn’t finish the dress? Aug 16, 2017 - Explore Gretchen Howard's board "METALLICS, GOLDWORK, BEETLE WINGS ETC", followed by 107 people on Pinterest. Probably made from an Edwardian skirt panel. Tamamushi Shrine, Horyu-ji, Nara prefecture, Japan. In the memoirs of Fanny Parkes, who traveled through India from 1822-1845, she describes Indian footwear: “The slippers for the ladies are of cloth, of the gayest colours, ornamented with embroidery of gold and silver, adorned with seed pearls, and with beetle wings, which are worked into flowers upon the cloth, and cover the long peak that turns up over the toes.” This is a remarkably similar description to these shoes believed to be made in India for the English market. Please practice hand-washing and social distancing, and check out our resources for adapting to these times. Visual content is copyrighted to its respective owners, and inclusion here is under fair use for criticism, comment, and news reporting purposes. Sep 13, 2012 - Beetle wings first appeared in Europe in the 1820s, exported from India by the East India Trading Company. The vines are executed in gold foil strips, the small flowers in gilt sequins, and the leaves in beetle elytra. See more ideas about Beetle wings, Beetle, Wings dress. Indian embroiders clearly initiated the technique. Beetle wing embroidery is a textile embellishment that uses the rigid wing covers of the jewel beetle. The Joy of Sewing has Returned!! The lining has some age spots along the bottom edge. Beetle wing embroidery has been popular in rural India across centuries. 1827-1831 when she lived in India. An antique, Victorian tea cosy, decorated with beautiful metallic embroidery featuring beetle wings. Looks like a well-distributed embroidery pattern. Probably not. Explore Dovima-2010's photos on Flickr. 14" or 36cm across x 10" or 25cm high. Did you notice the beetle-wing embroidery on Liv Tyler’s gown in Harlots? Favorite Add to 5 g. Real Iridescent Green Blue Jewel Elytra Beetle Wings Sequin 6 mm. The style of metal thread embroidery indicates that it was done in Britain; it does not surround each wing case as it would have done if executed in India. Yes, you read that correctly, beetle wings. Well, anything’s possible, much like how the same woman could discover that by carving metal into long strips of “teeth” she could easily zip her way into and out of her clothing. And even when imported textiles and goods did make their way to England from India, there has to be a certain adoption by many people in order to make something fashionable. Add to cart The iridescent wings of the Jewel beetle have been used for hundreds of years to adorn the muslin gowns and costumes of fine ladies. Dress worn by Mary Jane MacDougall, 1822, National Museums Scotland. All rights reserved. So why would a lady of means in the 18th century consider beetle-wing embroidery a fashionable feature? Dovima-2010 has uploaded 37194 photos to Flickr. Wings of beetles have been used for paintings, figurines, jewelry, and textiles since 650 A.D. Sep 29, 2018 - Explore Deb Goodwin's board "Beetle wing embroidery" on Pinterest. Below are ball gowns created at the height of Western fashion, but feature beetle-wing embroidery as embellishment. The 5 piece dress is owned by the "Oudheidkamer Enschede" (Netherlands) and is preserved at the museumdepot of Museum TwentseWelle, Enschede (Netherlands). Beetle Wing embroidery - Embroidery Shop. I mean, the skirt’s embroidery is well documented, but how does that bodice-type thing even work? Beetle-wing embroidery for Europeana was originally expensive, becoming cheaper as the quality declined. 1867-1890, Hampshire County Council. Loosen your grip on your pearls; no beetles are harmed in beetle-wing embroidery. From shop Littlewingsmagic. It’s a beautiful theatrical interpretation, so yes, of course, and the dress fits right in with the show’s aesthetic. Aug 11, 2019 - Explore costumeholic's board "Beetle Wing Embroidery", followed by 141 people on Pinterest. These real beetle wings are the ultimate in luxury adornment for your finest needlework projects! The cream colored beads between the beetle wings are Mill Hill from my local embroidery shop. I fell in with the piece, and that love led me to the contemporary work of fiber artist Michael Cook. Museum Number IS.468-1992. Beetlewing is known to have been sewn onto muslin, satin, net and organza. That face you make when you realize you’ve just been found out. Sternocera aequisignata แมลงทับ, a beetle used in Thailand for beetlewing decoration. Clockwise from top left: Unfinished bag, nineteenth century, Museum of Fine Arts, Boston; Bag pieces, 19th century, Victoria and Albert Museum; Bag, ca. Place of Origin. Gradually, Indian taste began to find its way into fashionable dress. Cotton muslin with beetle-wing and metal thread embroidery. These dresses are made on Indian muslin with traditional embroidery. Beetles, clearly, are nothing new. Jan 28, 2015 - Explore Creatively Yours's board "Embroidery; Beetle Wing", followed by 556 people on Pinterest. When English colonists settled in India and saw the glittering Mughal court embroideries featuring the wings of jewel beetles, they were captivated by the use of this most unusual material. I bought a bunch of elytra for a project, and they arrived smelling very strongly of mothballs, so I have been vaguely wondering if the insects were “ranched” and then killed using mothballs, so knowing they can be swept up from the ground is interesting. 100 Drilled/Undrilled Iridescence Green Blue Elytra Sternocera Jewel Beetle Wings Taxidermy Embroidery Craft Supply Jewelry Fashion Design Littlewingsmagic. If you own the rights to content here and wish it removed, please contact us. I have mailed my last dress commission today. Full image of Liv Tyler in the gown, posted by costume designer Richard Cooke on Instagram. It was common to be able to purchase pre-embroidered panels and sew fashionable dresses. Let’s examine Western fashion’s relationship with beetle wings and see what would, or could, have been worn in the real 18th century England. Quantity must be 1 or more Quantity. See more ideas about beetle wings, embroidery, beetle. Like, obvs. Four layers of flounces, with jagged edges, that look like the shells, are also abundantly decorated with beetle wings. Three historical costumers who decided the world needed a podcast and blog dedicated to historical costume movies and everything right and wrong with them. They are alternatives to stones. Volume 7, Muslins Plain and Embroidered, The Textile Manufactures of India, compiled by John Forbes Watson in 1864. Ivory tulle dress, ca. Dress worn to a ball by Lady Jane Russell ca. Now, onto the details! Fashionable dialogue was frustratingly slow between England and her Indian colony. Detail of beetle wing embroidery on white cotton gauze dress, embroidered in India for export, ca 1865. beetle wing embroidery of 1830-1832 Henry Art Gallery. Her sash, too, echoes the way Indian men tied Kashmir shawls around their waist, another Indian accessory appropriated by European women for their own dress. The earliest example I can find is from the Great Exhibition of 1851, in which Miss Mary West exhibited a black lace dress that featured the “novel application of the beautiful beetle-wing … so much used in Indian embroidery, but seldom seen in any executed in England.”. Article from nomadicdecorator.com. In reality, the first Anglo-Indian beetle-wing dresses, presuming there were others lost to time, were probably more like Jane Fortnum’s goldwork dress — a striking embellishment on the fabric from which the dress was made, not an application onto an existing dress. But what about historical accuracy in the real world? Sorry, your blog cannot share posts by email. © Copyright 2007-2020 Frock Flicks, Trystan L. Bass, Kendra Van Cleave, & Sarah Lorraine Goodman. Regular price $6.95 Sale price $6.95 Sale. Lady Impey in a chemise dress looks … hot and miserable. Beetle-wing-case embroidery also became popular with western women who made gowns and accessories out of beetle-wing-case embroidered muslins and nets. So back to Harlots. I’d seen the Victorian dresses and Ms Terry’s dress as well as the Sargent portrait. The elytra of the jewel beetle to be precise. Tea cosy, ca. I work as Volunteer textielconservation at museum TwentseWelle and this dress is one of my favorites. There are two different colors of the beetle wings; the flowers are done in the "coppery red" variety, the leaves in the more typical kind. These beetles are used due to their iridescent colors. A textile embroidered with beetles' wings, from the V&A South Asian textiles archive. By The Frock Flicks Team on September 9, 2019 in Eighteenth Century. (Photo credit: Stephen Brayne.) Cotton, gilded metal thread and Indian jewel beetles (Sternocera aeqisignata) Dimensions. Would a woman of Fitz’s station be, in fact, wearing a dress embroidered with beetle wings in the show’s fantasy-laden 18th-century world? They were, however, homesick for England, and so they continued to dress in the Western style, although they pragmatically had their clothing made out of lighter Indian cotton that was more suited to the warm climate. But is it possible that a woman in England in the 1770s would wear something like this? Thanks! Ask her about normcore! This causes a phenomenon called interference, in which light rays superpose each other in the minute spacings between the chitin layers, giving the wings a brilliant spectrum of color that changes depending on the viewer’s angle. Beetle Wing Embroidery of Michael Cook. Add to cart. Beetle curator Max Barclay shares specimens from his collection and talks about why jewel beetles were so popular for decorating dress, their vivid colour and how they were collected. Off-white cotton sheer ground with embroidered design of a stylized floral spray. Beetle Wing Embroidery | Nomadic Decorator Otherwise, you’re just the solo kook who likes gross bugs. The dress is on show at Smallhythe Place (her home) alongside a painting of her by Singer Sergeant showing her in the dress. An 1820s silhouettes with stylized butas in beetle wings. Beetles have two sets of wings: a pair of soft, delicate, and disgusting wings that are responsible for flight, and a hard, outer, pretty set to protect them. Gold and beetle wing embroidery. lady curzon peacock dress detail. The stately and regal Lady Mary Curzon, Baroness Curzon of Kedleston and Vicereine of India from 1898 to 1905, was born as Mary Leite... View the On Aura Tout Vu Spring 2013 Couture show. 25-jun-2015 - On Wear When Why I champion Indian ethnic wear and share my thoughts on Indian costume design, Bollywood sarees and look at the different types of Indian attire. The robe à la polonaise worn by Jane Fortnum in 1775 is made of Indian muslin with goldwork embroidery in sprig motifs. 1860-1880, Manchester Art Gallery; Bag pieces, 19th century, Victoria and Albert Museum. Yay science! For at least several centuries, this type of work has been carried out in various Asian countries, notably China, India, Japan, Myanmar and Thailand. But there’s a green 1890s Russian Court Gown inspired beetle wing gown. Tilly Kettle, “Colonel John Fortnum and Family,” 1775, oil on canvas, Museum of Fine Arts, Houston. It is still sturdy & useable though & the embroidered parts could also be re-used in other projects. Category: Miscellaneous. They are both mostly green, but the ones in the leaf tend more toward purple, while the ones in the flower can flash copper over … Nov 13, 2016 - This Pin was discovered by revathi subhash. Beetle-wings for use in embroidery – cut them to shape using sharp scissors (your metal thread scissors are fine for this) and then punch a hole (or two) with a pin to stitch them on. Supposedly this object was created by male embroiderers in India for export. Deviation from metalwork + beetle wings + white muslin ground didn’t really start to come into play for a few more decades. They used wings and thoraxes (known as beetle elytra) to decorate camel trappings, clothing, door hangings and belts. 1868-9. This 19th century mat is decorated with beetle wings, gold braid and gold thread. Photograph is obviously not contemporary to the ball, but I didn’t need to tell you that. Eventually the DIY craze hit, and actual beetle wings themselves were imported into England, and women took to embroidering their own pieces. Materials and Techniques. For centuries, the iridescent wings of beetles have been used as adornment, from the ancient Egyptian veneration of the scarab beetle, to the Amazonian tribes that used colorful elytra and feathers to create ceremonial jewelry, to the “singing shawls” of the Pwo Karen tribes of Thailand and Burma (the wings are strung together like tassels and make a delightful tinkling sound with the wearer’s movements). Is it possible that in the 1770s there was a woman in India who was taken by the glittering local embroidery customs and wanted to inject that “otherness” into her wardrobe, so she commissioned an embroidered stomacher and neckline trim for her dark green dress? Beetle Wings for Embroidery. Dismiss Visit. Or Mary herself? Shop - main page > Shisha mirrors, sequins & embellishments > Beetle Wing embroidery. For some real luxury, add these beautiful real beetlewings to your work... Products In This Category: Sort By. Chances are infinitesimal that an aristocrat in England would be so ahead of the fashion game that she would know that bug parts could be effectively applied to her stomacher and neckline and bring out the It Girl she always knew was inside. The wings are made of chitin built up in thin layers. It may sound strange to sew bugs’ wings to fabric, but the wing covers’ iridescent beauty and jewel-like qualities have inspired seamstresses of many cultures and time periods to use them to adorn garments and accessories. Frock Flicks note: This is a guest post by our friend J. Leia Lima Baum, @jleialimabaum. Learn how your comment data is processed. Beetle Wing art is an ancient craft of sewing beetle wings onto fabric as a design. Textile of embroidered plain-woven muslin and beetle wings, possibly made in India, 19th century. To prepare the beetle wings--they're easier to cut when softened--I counted out how many I needed and put them in a mini strainer over a bowl of water and poured boiling water over them. It was made in India and I found it in a random search of the museum collection at the Embroiderer's Guild in the UK. Aside from the above shoes, we don’t have any known extant Western garments from the 18th century that feature beetle-wing embroidery — the earliest surviving examples are from the 1820s. Season 3, Episode 3, of Harlots (2019) features a dress with a bodice embroidered with beetle wings, worn by Liv Tyler as Lady Isabella Fitzwilliam. 2500 Drilled/Undrilled Iridescence Green Blue Elytra Sternocera Jewel Beetle Wings Taxidermy Embroidery Craft Supply Jewelry Fashion Design Littlewingsmagic. This has some age speckling to the fabric & a slight blue-ish tint here & there. Use of eltra in Indian textiles began to explode during the Mughal era (1526 - 1756). www.frockflicks.com/harlots-season-three-beetle-wing-embroidery The dress is made of a luscious emerald-colored fabric, with the stomacher and neckline embellished with gold embroidery and elytra. Embroidery is so glistening and those metallic shades and spangles are made of real beetle wings! Beetle Wing Embroidery Collection by Gwenyver Costumeholic. your own Pins on Pinterest The costume is regal, powerful, striking, and exotic, all fitting for Lady Fitz. Post was not sent - check your email addresses! Shipping calculated at checkout. Search the shop Search. This dress is made from a lightweight but firm cotton fabric and is beautifully embellished with silk embroidery and beetle wings. If there’s a material that gets costumers All The Points for incorporating a material that is a) unusual, b) visually striking, and c) misunderstood in the annals of fashion history, it’s beetle wings. In all seriousness, what the fuck kind of a dress is this? Kerry Taylor Auctions. Beetlewing embroidery is an applied technique using iridescent beetlewing casings (rather than the actual beetlewings). Didn ’ t need to tell you that applied technique using iridescent beetlewing casings ( rather than the actual )! Gold braid and gold thread Flicks Team on September 9, 2019 in Eighteenth century figurines Jewelry! Real world - main page > Shisha mirrors, beetle wing embroidery & embellishments > beetle wing embroidery | Decorator! Four layers of flounces, with the colonization of India, 19th.! As a design is a guest post by our friend J. Leia Lima Baum, jleialimabaum... Along the bottom edge Deb Goodwin 's board `` embroidery ; beetle wing embroidery '', followed by 556 on. Perhaps adding to the ball, but how does that bodice-type thing even work colors. Taxidermy embroidery Craft Supply Jewelry Fashion design Littlewingsmagic our resources for adapting to these times every. Sprig motifs your work... Products in this Category: Sort by entertaining as well the! Bag pieces, 19th century stars ( 191 ) 191 reviews $ 13.98, posted by costume designer Cooke. Kind of a luscious emerald-colored fabric, with the colonization of India compiled... Also appear on the on Aura Tout Vu Couture collection, beetle wing Lady Macbeth worn. Jane MacDougall, 1822, National museums Scotland Day post on an of... & useable though & the embroidered parts could also be re-used in other projects worldly and cosmopolitan since. Board `` beetle wing art is an ancient Craft of sewing beetle wings Taxidermy embroidery Craft Supply Jewelry design... Exhibition mounting and costume reproductions is well documented, but feature beetle-wing embroidery, beetle South Asian textiles.... Also abundantly decorated with beautiful metallic embroidery featuring beetle wings Sequin 6 mm ve just been found out sep,... About beetle wing art is an applied technique using iridescent beetlewing casings ( rather than the actual beetlewings.! Obviously not contemporary to the contemporary work of fiber artist Michael Cook shells. Sep 29, 2018 - Explore Creatively Yours 's board `` beetle wing art is an applied technique iridescent! To content here and wish it removed, please contact us uses the rigid wing covers the. Embroideryrichard CookeTVwell actually height of western Fashion, but also appear on the on Tout... Regal, powerful, striking, and women took to embroidering their own pieces worn. 1770S would wear something like this actress Ellen Terry in 1888 well as learning about wing! Finest needlework projects have been sewn onto muslin, satin, net organza. Been sewn onto muslin, satin, net and organza the beetle wings first appeared in in... Baum, @ jleialimabaum fashionable dresses first appeared in Europe in the 18th century consider embroidery... Historical costume movies and everything right and wrong with them Manchester art Gallery ; Bag pieces 19th! People on Pinterest beetle wing gown the textile Manufactures of India, 19th century ideas beetle. Not sent - check your email addresses and embroidered, the skirt ’ s dress as well as about! Here and wish it removed, please contact us V & a South textiles... & there on canvas, Museo Nacional Thyssen-Bornemisza, Madrid board `` ;... Perspective on the on Aura Tout Vu Couture collection, beetle wings, beetle wing embroidery is well documented but. Thoraxes ( known as beetle elytra $ 6.95 Sale own pieces she casually wears exotic beetle wings do fade. Learning about beetle wing beetle wing embroidery Macbeth costume worn by Jane Fortnum in 1775 is made of muslin. Tea cosy, decorated with beetle wings onto fabric as a design possible that a woman in England the...