Approximately 1.2 million spiders were needed to create this remarkable golden cape! Only two golden spider silk textiles exist in the world today, and this one measures 13 feet in length. It was made over a period of four years by a team of patient specialists at Godley & Peers. Every morning a number of trained handlers collected female Golden Orb spiders from the highlands of Madagascar, and after they produced the fine naturally yellow silk, they were retuned to their natural habitat.
Decorated with delicate flower designs and representations of the two-inch spiders, the gown is the longest piece of brocaded spider silk ever. It will be exhibited at the Victoria and Albert Museum Studio Gallery in London, between January 25 and June 5, 2012.
Simon Peers, an Englishmen who currently lives in Madagascar, together with Nicholas Godley from America are the masterminds behind this bold project. Mr. Peers said that the V&A (the Victoria and Albert Museum) was the perfect place for such an exhibition in Europe. “As far as we know, the V&A has never before shown anything made from spider silk (…). So we are pleased and very proud to be adding a first to a museum with such a rich, long and illustrious history”. We applaud their initiative!
