When one thinks of spiders, several things come to mind — black widows, cobwebs in forgotten attics, a germane vision of Charlotte and her web. The American Museum of Natural History in New York has brought a new association to the table — in the form of a woven spun silk textile.
“It is the only existing textile made from this extraordinary material,” says curator Ian Tattersall. “[which is] difficult to obtain and manipulate.” So difficult, in fact, that it took over 70 people four years to make.
The end effect is well worth the effort — the textile sits in the Grand Gallery, next to an Old Norse ship. The color of the tapestry is incredible, a sparkling, saturated California-poppy gold from the golden orb spiders of Madagascar.
Based on a weaving tradition known as Iamba Akotifahana from the country’s highlands, the textile boasts geometric patterns of birds and flowers.
It was an art reserved for the Royalty of Madagascar, which begs the question—is there a future for spider silk garments in the luxury markets? “Obtaining and processing spider silk is so tricky and labor-intensive that it is difficult to see this material being widely (or ever) used in the fashion industry,” Tattersall says, “unless some new and easier way can be devised of obtaining it.”
Obtaining it now is not a pleasurable task—silk was harvested off of telephone wires by using long poles. Then there is the lengthy process of weaving.
“Right now,” Tattersall says, “the textile exists for itself.”
