Goliath Meleagris
Limited Edition
Signed and numbered giclée print.
Each beetle 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
The Goliath Meleagris Beetle
Latin Name: Goliathus orientalis meleagris
Distribution: Congo, Tanzania
Size: 90 – 50 millimeters
The Goliath beetle is one of the largest beetles in the animal kingdom and can grow to be the size of a human hand. Given their super-size, the Goliath beetle takes its name from the biblical giant who was defeated by a young boy with a slingshot. The Goliath beetles are part of the Scarabaeidae (scarab beetle) family. Originally dubbed Goliathus giganteus orientalis by Moser in 1909, the sub-species Goliathus meleagris was named by Sjostedt in 1927.
Of the five Goliath families, the parent species Goliath orientalis is both one of the largest and the rarest. This is thanks to the Goliath orientalis’ comparatively limited range; while their cousins can be found throughout the African continent, the orientalis can only be found in the Congo and Tanzania. This is partly where they get the name orientalis from – Orientalis means east in latin and this limited range is in the south eastern part of the continent.
If the Goliath orientalis beetles are the rarest, the Goliath meleagris is the rarest of them all. If you are lucky enough to find one, they can usually be identified by their white bodies – a unique feature among all the Goliath beetles. Males are easily identified by their large Y-shaped black horns.
The Artwork & Limited Edition
The original Goliath Meleagris artwork was painted in watercolour in 2020, and is the same size as the limited edition medium 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.
