Fragment (India), 19th century (CH 18318821)

Beetlewing, or beetlewing art, is an ancient craft technique using iridescent

beetle Beetles are insects that form the order Coleoptera (), in the superorder Endopterygota. Their front pair of wings are hardened into wing-cases, elytra, distinguishing them from most other insects. The Coleoptera, with about 400,000 describ ...

wings practiced traditionally in

Thailand Thailand ( ), historically known as Siam () and officially the Kingdom of Thailand, is a country in Southeast Asia, located at the centre of the Indochinese Peninsula, spanning , with a population of almost 70 million. The country is b ...

Myanmar Myanmar, ; UK pronunciations: US pronunciations incl. . Note: Wikipedia's IPA conventions require indicating /r/ even in British English although only some British English speakers pronounce r at the end of syllables. As John Wells explai ...

India India, officially the Republic of India (Hindi: ), is a country in South Asia. It is the seventh-largest country by area, the second-most populous country, and the most populous democracy in the world. Bounded by the Indian Ocean on the so ...

, China and Japan. Notable beetlewing garments include Lady Curzon's peacock dress (1903) and a costume dress worn by the actress

Ellen Terry Dame Alice Ellen Terry, (27 February 184721 July 1928), was a leading English actress of the late 19th and early 20th centuries. Born into a family of actors, Terry began performing as a child, acting in Shakespeare plays in London, and tour ...

as Lady Macbeth, depicted in the painting '' Ellen Terry as Lady Macbeth'' (1889).

Tradition

It was common in some of the ancient cultures of Asia to attach beetlewing pieces as an adornment to paintings, textiles and jewelry. Different species of

metallic wood-boring beetle Buprestidae is a family of beetles known as jewel beetles or metallic wood-boring beetles because of their glossy iridescent colors. Larvae of this family are known as flatheaded borers. The family is among the largest of the beetles, with some ...

wings were used depending on the region, but traditionally the most valued were those from beetles belonging to genus '' Sternocera''. Their wings were valued for their beautiful and hardy metallic emerald iridescence. The shiny appearance of beetlewings is long-lasting. They are surprisingly durable if subject to normal non-abusive use. In Thailand, beetlewings of wood–boring beetles ''Sternocera spp.'' ( th, แมลงทับ), like '' Sternocera aequisignata'', were preferred to decorate clothing (shawls and Sabai cloth) and jewelry in former court circles. The beetles have a short life span of 3 to 4 weeks in their adult stage. To avoid killing the beetles, only those that die of natural causes are collected. In 19th-century India exquisite masterpieces of embroidered textiles were produced using beetlewing pieces. These cloth items have survived the passage of time without losing their splendor. In some instances, the beetle wings will retain their natural sparkle, even though the cloth surrounding them may have decayed. The species of beetle traditionally used in decorative work in Japan is ''

Chrysochroa fulgidissima ''Chrysochroa fulgidissima'', "jewel beetle" or Yamato tamamushi in Japanese (ヤマトタマムシ) is a metallic woodboring beetle of the family Buprestidae. Characteristics This beetle is native to Japan and Korea. It is typically found in ...

'', known also as ''Tamamushi''.

Survival

In Thailand this ancient tradition has mostly died out. In

Bangkok Bangkok, officially known in Thai as Krung Thep Maha Nakhon and colloquially as Krung Thep, is the capital and most populous city of Thailand. The city occupies in the Chao Phraya River delta in central Thailand and has an estimated populati ...

, rare pieces of crafts and jewelry made with beetlewing are displayed at the

Dusit Palace Dusit Palace ( th, พระราชวังดุสิต, RTGS: ''Phra Ratcha Wang Dusit'') is a compound of royal residences in Bangkok, Thailand. Constructed over a large area north of Rattanakosin Island between 1897 and 1901 by King C ...

complex of

King Chulalongkorn Chulalongkorn ( th, จุฬาลงกรณ์, 20 September 1853 – 23 October 1910) was the fifth monarch of Siam under the House of Chakri, titled Rama V. He was known to the Siamese of his time as ''Phra Phuttha Chao Luang'' (พร� ...

(Rama V), now a museum. Thanks to the encouragement and support of

Queen Sirikit Queen Sirikit ( th, สิริกิติ์; ; ); born ''Mom Rajawongse'' Sirikit Kitiyakara ( th, สิริกิติ์ กิติยากร; ; 12 August 1932) is the queen mother of Thailand. She was Queen of Thailand as the wif ...

, efforts are being made to preserve this traditional art at the Chitralada Center by supporting artisans who have kept the skill alive. Modern beetlewing work is usually applied on simple items, like earrings and collage work. These are marketed mostly through tourist-oriented shops.Chitralada – SUPPORT Foundation

References

External links

Thai Handicrafts – Beetle-Wing Decorations

แมลงทับ – Sternocera varieties

Chitralada Palace artisans – The Queen's craftsmen

{{Insects in culture Thai culture Indian art Burmese culture Handicrafts Jewellery Woven fabrics Insects in culture Insects in art Insects in religion Beetles and humans

Tradition

Survival

See also

References

External links