Peacock Butterfly
Limited Edition
Signed and numbered giclée print.
Each butterfly print comes with a certificate of authenticity.
Each size limited to 100 pieces, and is printed
on archival Hahnemühle German Etching paper.
Frames are custom made in Britain using English Oak,
African Obeche and specialist Rohm glass.
Description
Peacock Butterfly
Latin Name: Aglais io
Distribution: Europe, temperate parts of Asia including Japan.
Wingspan: 57 to 63 millimeters
The Aglais Io is a petite butterfly, with a wingspan of 50 to 70mm. It’s a relatively common butterfly which can be found in woods, meadows, pastures, parks, fields and gardens. Their wings are a beautiful rusty red, with four distinctive coloured eyespot. These eyespots (or oculus) aren’t just ornamental. Scientists have speculated that they are actually an anti-predation mechanism which has evolved to mimic the eyes of predatory animals. If a hibernating Peacock butterfly is attacked, it will open its wings and flash its eyespots and ‘hiss’ by rubbing its wings together in a threat display. This dance has been shown to deter birds the size of chickens, and will occasionally even start panicked alarm calling. If that tactic doesn’t work though, the Aglais io can always resort to camouflage by closing their wings to show their dull, leaf-like underside.
The European peacock butterfly (aglais) shouldn’t be confused with the American peacock butterfly (anartia). Although they have the same moniker, they are from two separate and unrelated genus entirely.
The Artwork & Limited Edition
The original Peacock Butterfly artwork was painted in watercolour in 2019, and is the same size as the limited edition midi print.
Limited Edition Print Size:
• Mini: 15 x 15cm, limited to 100 pieces
• Medium: 23 x 23cm, limited to 100 pieces
Every print is signed by the artist and comes with a certificate of authenticity. The certificate is signed, numbered, and comes in a fitted glassine envelope. A custom debossed seal is featured on the back.
The Frames
All frames are custom made in England.
The Wood
Frames are available in two wood varieties: English oak and dark African Obeche.
Oak is a pale cream wood characterised by its strength, durability and characterful grain. It was seen as the monarch of the forest by ancient Indo-Europeans, and our word for ‘tree’ actually derives from their word for ‘oak’ (*deru-).
Obeche is also known as the the African Maple tree. It’s a hardwood species that’s native to several west-central African countries, and its natural heartwood is a pale yellow colour that darkens with age. This wood has been dyed to mimic ebony woods, which are beautiful but endangered due to over-timbering. Dyed Obeche wood mimics wenge wood with its warm dark colouring, straight timber and durability – all without the ecological concerns.
The Glass
Glass is fragile, prone to breaking during shipping and, most importantly, it doesn’t offer the best protection for your prints in the long run.
Light breaks down paper over time, weakening and discolouring paper fibres. The pigments found in ink will also fade with too much exposure. That’s why most art museums filter UV from light sources using a variety of window-coverings and coatings, specialised art frames and reduce light exposure by limiting the number of hours a painting is on display.
There is one simple and effective way to protect your artwork at home; and that’s by using UV protective glass. These frames are made using specialist Rohm plexiglass, which is the highest grade of glass on the market today. This material should not be confused with cheap styrene or acrylic sheets used in department store frames – it’s highly transparent, beautifully bright, break-proof and offers seven times more UV protection than glass.
