When we visited Assam in 2008 we brought back some eri silk to do natural dyes tests. Here is what we got and how we got it.



0) Natural colour of eri silk
1) Alum 15% Cutch 50%
2) Alum 15%, Marigold 20%, Madder 20%,
3) Alum 15%, Marigold 20%, Madder 100%
4) Alum 15%, Madder 200%
5) Alum 15%, Madder 100%, Iron 2%
6) Alum 15%. Lac 50%,
7) Alum 15%, Lac 50%, Iron 2%
8) Alum 15%, Lac residue
9) Alum 15%, Cutch 50% Iron 2%
10) Natural Indigo 1 dip
11) Natural Indigo 4 dips
12) Natural Indigo 8 dips
13) Marigold 20% Natural indigo 4 dips
14) Alum 15% Marigold 20% Iron 2%
15) Alum 15% Henna 50%
16) Alum 15% Marigold 20%

If you click on the photo above you can see a larger version. Information about the dyes we used can be found on our natural dye pages. Alum and Iron can be found in the mordants section. The percentages specified indicates that we added that percentage of the weight of the fiber to be dyed (when dry). So, if we had 100 grams of silk, and we mordanted with alum at 15% then we used 15 grams of alum. If we dyed with lac at 50% then for 100 grams of silk we used 50 grams of lac.

We love eri silk and were very happy with the results. The silk didn't loose its luster in the dye process, the yarns didn't felt up, and no special procedures were needed for the eri silk. Here are some very close up images of the fiber: natural, marigold 20%, and marigold 20% + Madder 100%. Again, click on the photo for a larger verion. You can see that the actual fibers that make up the yarns are very very fine.





We know that some people raise eri silk moths in North America and in other parts of the world. Hit us in the comments section with your experience dyeing the fiber.

Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 7
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)






An adult eri moth resting on netting and some of the cocoons. On the day we visited the eri silk farmers we also drove to a village where every home seemed to be set up to spin and weave. It was here in rural Assam that we learned the most about silk production, and here also that we took some of our best photos. Assam, the people, the landscape, and the skillful transformation of silk to textiles; it was all very beautiful and we felt very privileged to be able to experience it.





We really got the sense that everyone knew silk and had an opinion about it. Even our armed escort took an active interest in the cloth. We bartered for some of the lengths that were, in our opinion very well made - tightly woven and well spun and we made certain to get a selection of the spun silk that we could use for natural dye testing. We were very excited to see how it would take the dyes. If it worked well there was a possibility that natural dyes could be reintroduced to the local textiles.

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Maiwa East has just received it's first container of 2010. We've unpacked hundreds of items. After looking them over we've taken photos of four special pieces to give you an idea of what has arrived. Each piece is unique. All have personality.


1 ) Featured in the first photo is a large teak cabinet with glass double doors. The cabinet has classic detailing on the top and rests on turned wooden feet. With the moulding this cabinet is just over six feet tall.




2) The second item is a small floor cabinet about three feet high. It features lightly distressed solid wood panels and carved protruding ornaments at the top. Inside are two shelves. It is an unusual item and we have never received one like it before.




3) The third item is a hammered copper pot about eight inches high and ten inches in diameter. We have a large collection of similar pots made of copper and brass in a variety of shapes.



4) Finally we have a very unusual bench which has been salvaged from an Indian train station. The back of the bench is attached to the seat by a custom made brass hinge. The back is reversable so that the bench may face in either direction. In use the bench would be anchored between the rail platforms. By flipping the back of the bench passengers would be able to sit facing the correct platform to watch the approaching train.

We receive containers on a regular basis holding old furniture, carved doors & thresholds, teak cabinets, coffee tables, book cases, engraved water urns, ironwork chairs and tables, furniture handpainted by the renowned Abhi Shakar and Jetu Singh, and many other items both large and small.

All hardwoods are old or reclaimed.

Maiwa East
More than you imagine

A dusty cupboard in Kolkata belonging to the Botanical Survey of India recently yielded two historic discoveries: an 18-volume omnibus on Indian textiles by Forbes Watson and a 15-volume set on natural dyes by Thomas Wardle (pictured above). The 15 volume set made an immediate sensation in the natural dye world. Dominique Cardon (France), Brenda King (UK) and Jenny Balfour Paul (UK) all pressed to have the international symposium on natural dyes moved from Paris to Kolkata to celebrate and investigate the discovery. The NGO SUTRA and Amrita Mukerji were instrumental in hosting the conference.

The book contains dye samples and recipes. Reports are that, although the paper is now quite aged and brittle, the swatches are bright and vibrant. Thomas Wardle has been the subject of recent exhibitions. Previously he may have been best known for his collaboration with William Morris. Both Morris and Wardle wanted to document natural dye knowledge and, in the face of the growing market for synthetic colours, promote the use of natural dyes. Wardle travelled to India and made collections of Indian textiles, many of which were recently exhibited at the Whitworth Gallery.

Jenny Balfour-Paul sent us this link to coverage of the event, as well as an update on some efforts to revive indigo growing in Bengal. Readers will remember Jenny from her recent work with Yo Yo Ma's Silk Road Project. We'd like to mention that to get to Kolkata for the Sutra conference Jenny - in a spirit of adventure - declined to fly and instead booked passage on a freighter.

For full coverage here is a link to the Times of India.

Comments are welcome.

Previously we posted some photos of tapestries from the Alcazar in Spain. We also quoted William Morris, who recommended (in 1889) that people look at the tapestries in Hampton court to see how natural dyes change (or persist) with time.

Professor Chris Carr, Dr. Huw Owens and Ruth Perkins from the University of Manchester were also interested to know how tapestries changed over time. And so, once again focusing on the works at Hampton Court they set out to model what the original of "The Oath and Departure of Eliezer" might have looked like. They dyed wools with natural dyes such as old fustic, woad and madder and then artificially aged the samples to generate a fade index. They then analyzed the fibers on the back of the hanging and compared them to the yarns on the front. With this data the group was able to interpret what five centuries of time had done. This is a substantial project that took years to complete and then there was the question of how to present the findings. They decided to project - onto the tapestry itself - an image of how it might have looked when it was first hung. As the University's press release stated:

In the final stage of the project lecturer Dr Huw Owens worked out how tiny specially calibrated beams of light could be used to shine on to two million separate sections of the tapestry to temporarily 'return' each of the yarns to their original colour.

The special installation "Henry VIII's Tapestries Revealed" ran until January 2010. Sadly we arrived in London in February 2010 so we didn't get a chance to see it. Luckily the happy event was documented and publicized by Historic Royal Palaces. Sadly the large picture published as part of the PDF looks hideous. We challenge anyone to say otherwise. What happened?



Light and Colour

Light is like water. It is always contaminated by impurities. As with water the impurities give it character. Most photographers know about the "golden hour" during dawn or dusk when the light from the sun in tainted by the atmosphere. In the previous post we mentioned about the difference in Colour temperature between sunlight and incandescent light. Photographers shooting in colour will have to colour correct, to compensate for the different colour temperatures of different light sources. Generally, daylight or flash = blue, incandescent = yellow and flourescent = green. These are the relative shifts when we try to make light act white. If you set your camera to interpret daylight as white and then photograph inside (illuminated with incandescent light) there will be a decidedly yellow-orange cast to your photo. There is a real problem if you have two light sources - as with the above photo - say incandescent and whatever is coming out of the projector. So the disturbing blue-green cast of the tapestry is an artifact of how it was photographed and is almost certainly not a "true" representation of the projection.

The projection itself may or may not be a "true" representation of the original tapestry. But we feel confident in saying that those working on the project didn't intend it to look as it does in the photo. Anyone with natural dye (or photographic) experience will look at the above photo with considerable alarm.

How can we check this? Find another photo.



The above photo was published in the Telegraph and shows a much more realistic tapestry. Compare the colours of the figures in front of the projection and you will notice a corresponding shift in the hue of the cloaks. And finally we put the two together just to emphasize the difference.



The very essence of "Henry VIII's Tapestries Revealed" is a remarkable study of the subtle nature of colour, dyes, textiles and time. So how could the official press release for a project that is all about colour be so ... um ... colourblind? We don't know. Colour has a large subjective element and notions of beauty or truth are also highly problematic. We invite your speculations in the comments section.

Here are some links to the project and press coverage:

Historic Royal Palaces Henry VIII's Tapestries Revealed

Tapestry longevity: Hampton Court's tapestries: how long will they survive?

Researcher restores King Henry VIII's 500 year-old tapestry

BBC Henry VIII's tapestries on show

We were deeply saddened to receive the news that Henri Lambert has recently died of a sudden heart attack.

Henri together with is wife Denise was instrumental in leading a revival of woad dye. Henri, who became enamored with the shades of European blue derived from woad, devoted his life to learning the chemistry and science of this dye. The spirit of exploration and a deep curiosity motivated him. Together with Denise the couple was able to use woad in unimaginable ways - in everything from Henri's eyeglass frames to the paint that adorned the Lambert's car.

Only a few months ago, in October of 2009, Henri was in Vancouver with Denise giving a lecture and a workshop. Maiwa carries woad dye from the Lambert's shop, Bleu de Lectoure, and some of the unique woad products that Henri helped create. Many will recall the impact of the subtle shades of blue that graced the stage this fall during the Lambert's presentation at the Slow Clothes Fashion Show. We greatly enjoyed the Lambert's enthusiasm and commitment. We loved Henri's generous spirit and gentle humour.

In addition to his talents as a scientist, researcher and entrepreneur, Henri was a skilled artist. Many of his canvases hang in the gallery/shop in Lectoure and we had the good luck to see them during our visit in 2007.

The natural dye and textile communities have suffered a great and irreplaceable loss with the passing of Herni Lambert. We extend our sympathies to Denise and wish her strength during this difficult time.

Comments are welcome.

Last month we were in India's Kutch desert visiting the Khatris. They were very keen to show us the improvements that they have already made to the new land to get it ready for Ajrakh production. Many of you will recall that last year the Maiwa Foundation held a series of auctions and fundraisers to facilitate the land purchase. The new land became necessary due to the falling water tables and water contamination.

Two major structures are now complete. The first is a series of tanks which permit the water to be used four times before it is let out to irrigate the fields. Water use and conservation is of prime importance here.



The second structure is a wood fired dye kiln. The design permits very large copper pots to be raised to the correct temperature for dyeing. It minimizes fuel use and eliminates many of the problems associated with the open kettle method of heating. The dyer will climb the steps and monitor the works from above.

Maiwa is very proud to be a part of this incredible book.

Getting around Granville Island during the Olympics is not a problem. Despite early concerns over crowds for special events there have been plenty of empty parking places on the island and ... no congestion.

Worried about the temporary parking fees? We'll take care of it.

Europe has a large and accessible collection of tapestries. One great advantage of almost all tapestries on exhibit in museum and church collections is that they were made before the advent of synthetic dyes. The most notable craft houses, the flemish tapestry makers which flourished between the 15th and 18th centuries, precede William Perkin's synthesis of mauve in 1856 by a good margin. Many tapestries have only been subjected to modern conservation (light and climate control) in recent times, having hung (sometimes for hundreds of years) enduring exposure to daylight and weather. As such they give an excellent example of the longevity of natural colour over time. Colours will change over time, however, it is important to note that the changes are far from what is often claimed by some critics of natural dyes, and some synthetic dye makers.

The idea of looking to ancient examples of dyes to check colours is not new. William Morris, for example, writing before synthetic dyes had the more subtle nature they have today has said of natural dyes:

"Like all dyes, they are not eternal; the sun in lighting them and beautifying them consumes them; yet gradually, and for the most part kindly, as (to use my example for the last time in this paper) you will see if you look at the Gothic tapestries in the drawing-room at Hampton Court. These colours in fading still remain beautiful, and never, even after long wear, pass into nothingness, through that stage of livid ugliness which distinguishes the commercial dyes as nuisances, even more than their short and by no means merry life."

Moreover fastness is subject to the dye knowledge of the craftsperson and this is a matter of skill, intuition, and learning. Morris again:

"The art of dyeing, I am bound to say, is a difficult one, needing for its practice a good craftsman, with plenty of experience. Matching a colour by means of it is an agreeable but somewhat anxious game to play."

These photos were taken by us recently in Gothic Wing of the Alcazar in Seville, Spain. The tapestries are massive, measuring about 15 feet by 20 feet in size. The works are from Brussels c. 1554 and celebrate Emperor Charles V's 1535 victory in Tunis over the Turks.

A note about colour balance.

These tapestries are hung in a room which is open to the air. Sunlight enters from large doorways and upper windows. The works are also illuminated by incandescent lights. The walls of the room are a saturated yellow. In terms of colour balance for looking at the pieces we have blue light from the sun, yellow light from the artificial illumination and another warm yellow light from the reflections of the walls. Colour will change with time of day, cloud cover and many other factors. All this shows up in the photos here. The last photo was taken with a wide angle lens and shows one of the entire works, the wall and the gallery railing.

An additional complication to colour balance is that these images are presently being viewed by you on your own computer screen. Your screen will have its on unique colour profile. How to avoid all this colour and light trickery? Well we must say that Seville is really quite a lovely place to visit ...

Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 6
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)



We've been lucky in Assam. Chandan has found us a number of locations where the Eri moth is in different stages of its development. This has all been arranged by him, but as we pull into a compound or drive down a village street, we have no idea what we are going to find. Previously we encountered the eggs - just at the point of hatching. Now we've been shown the caterpillars in their final stages as they are about to spin. The worms pictured here are happily munching on a collection of castor leaves. Some of them have a faint blue tint. We're guessing that the colour difference is between male and female. For full details of the Eri lifecycle we recommend Michael Cook's well illustrated photo essay.

These worms were kept in the most simple conditions. A woven basket held an inverted collection of branches tied together at the stem. It made a substantial collection of food that would last a few days.

And finally we saw the adults. The one shown at the top of the post has been out of the cocoon about twenty-four hours. These moths (like all moths) generally don't live long in the adult stage, only a few days. As adults their sole drive is to emerge from the cocoon, mate and lay eggs.




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Our latest video podcast just went up.

Part 2 - Presentation, Question and Answer
Michel Garcia

Michel Garcia is a practicing chemist and botanist specializing in natural dyes and dye plants. He is the founder of Couleur Garance, and the Botanical Garden of Dye Plants, set in the Château de Lauris, terraced and adorned with ponds and fountains dating from the eighteenth century. The conservatory garden was envisioned as a resource for natural dye research and an oportunity to edify the public about organic colour.

Recorded at the 2009 Maiwa Textile Symposium on October 16, 2009
Posted February 2010

Here is the original post for Michel Garcia's lecture. In 2009 he also taught a workshop; Secrets from the Dye Garden: Extracts and Printing.

Three reasons to make Maiwa your Local Yarn Shop.

Louet

We have just brought in some European linen from Louet. Featured here are two of the Euroflax samples: a 100% linen bulky/chunky weight and a 100% wet spun linen in #2/Sport weight. Also shown is a KidLin, this is a blend of 53% Kid Mohair, 24% Linen and 23% Nylon. It is a wonderfully cosy and responsive yarn.

Manos del Uruguay

Manos del Uruguay was born in 1968 when a group of women were trying to find a way to promote economic and social development for remote rural women. We have new colours - natural blends made with the sheep's natural colours Grey, Brown and Ecru, and handspun together to create a melange effect. There are overdyed colours where the varied tones of the base yarn add tremendous depth and complexity. This new yarn is significantly soft, manageable and a wonder to work with.

Wagtail Yarns

Wagtail is a family run business from Austrailia that is completely dedicated to mohair and mohair blends. Featured here are two yarns: the lighter is a mix of 80% fine mohair with 20% merino wool, the second is a blend of 60% fine mohair with 40% merino. Both yarns are very soft, have a delightful weight and are quite pliable.

These three arrivals are now in our Supply store on Granville Island. We welcome you to come and see how they might work for your next project.

Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 5
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)

At the close of our first day in Assam we are very very tired. The combination of jet lag, tropical weather, the excitement and newness of everything has worn us out. Returning to our simple guest house we are asked what we want to eat. Ever prudent we select what we think is the healthiest (in terms of traveller’s food safety) simplest, an most importantly, quickest meal. A boiled egg. “No problem. No Problem. Right away.” We would have lost consciousness instantly but we stayed away to receive our humble supper. Two hours later the boiled egg arrived. With two pieces of white bread. I suspect the thoughtful addition of western style white bread was the time snag and I imagine young boys being sent running through the village to get shop keepers to open their stalls until some is found.

Eggs are also where we start with the Eri moth. The eggs are so tiny they are hard to show clearly. But if you look closely you can see the small holes where they have exited. Eri hatchlings in Assam.





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Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 4
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)



When we were getting ready to visit Assam we pulled out our boxes of slides and photographs and reviewed what we learned in Orissa ten years ago. We found eri then, including the marvelous specimen at the top of the page. Unlike tussar, eri is fully domesticated. To understand why eri is so special we need to talk a little about the process of reeling silk. The process is fairly strightforward. The cocoons are placed in warm water to loosen the gum (sericin) that holds the filaments together. One strand of silk is incredibly thin and would be too weak for most textiles, so the filaments from several cocoons are combined. As they are reeled the sericin acts to bind the multiple filaments into a single thread.

When the adult moth emerges from a cocoon it needs to make a hole to get out. The cocoons from which adults emerge are known as "pierced" because of this hole. The hole cuts so many of the fibers that the silk from pierced cocoons cannot be reeled. The silk is still used, but it is spun like cotton or wool and forms a lower grade of silk.

Eri is unusual in that it is never reeled. The fibers in the coccoon are like a tiny bale of cotton, all wound together and tangled. So instead eri silk is spun and this gives it a very unusual quality. Depending on how it is spun and woven it can give a very woolly result - and as with poorly made wools, eri can pill like cheap acrylic. But it can also give a tight strong fiber like linen. This is what makes eri textiles amazing - they can have the drape and weight of linen but are warm and insulating like cotton or wool.

Because eri silk is spun and not reeled it is not necessary to "stifle" or kill the pupa. You can let the moth emerge to mate and lay eggs - or you can eat it for supper. In eastern India eri was (and still is) raised as a source of protein with the silk being a very useful by product.

"Ericulture is a small scale industry in all the three stages; such as, rearing, spinning and weaving, the rearers growing a patch of castor (Ricinus communis) or ‘Kesseru’ (Hereropanax fragrans) plants in their hutments for making use of the leaves for rearing the worms for production of cocoon that is spun into yarn – the yarn woven into cloth by themselves for personal use. Most important however is the chrisalid which is devoured avidly. In fact, eri cocoon is considered a by-product, so also the castor seed. Castor plant is mainly used in other parts of India for production of seed which as a valuable material; but in N.E. region because of its profuse vegative growth and poor yield of seeds, the leaves are utilized for production of eri cocoon only." - Chowdahury 1991.

When we visited Orissa, we noticed that the eri were placed on special baskets when they were getting ready to spin. The basketry provided a perfect environment and permitted easy collection of the silk. Here you can see many cocoons and recently emerged moths.



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Our latest video podcast just went up.

Part 1 - Introduction and Presentation
Michel Garcia

Michel Garcia is a practicing chemist and botanist specializing in natural dyes and dye plants. He is the founder of Couleur Garance, and the Botanical Garden of Dye Plants, set in the Château de Lauris, terraced and adorned with ponds and fountains dating from the eighteenth century. The conservatory garden was envisioned as a resource for natural dye research and an oportunity to edify the public about organic colour.

Recorded at the 2009 Maiwa Textile Symposium on October 16, 2009
Posted January 2010

Here is the original post for Michel Garcia's lecture. In 2009 he also taught a workshop; Secrets from the Dye Garden: Extracts and Printing.

We came across Wormspit when we were doing silk research for our 2008 trip to Assam. If you have any interest in silk you need to know about Michael Cook, his blog (which goes back to 2003) and his site, Wormspit (www.wormspit.com). It is detailed, informed, supported by copious high-quality close-up photos, and at times outrageously funny. There is equal emphasis on raising the insects and working with the fibers.



Michael Cook, who lives in Dallas, Texas, got started raising silkworms in 2001 after he had already been weaving for ten years. Since then he's been raising various breeds, reeling the silks, dyeing the fibers and documenting the process. He was recently published in the Fall 2009 issue of SpinOff magazine and was the sericulturalist for the American Museum of Natural History's video Traditional Silk Making Today (with music by the Silk Road Project).

It is early January 2010 and our jeep has just rolled into the Jawaja Village. The last time we saw the weavers and leatherworkers was in October; when they were on the screen in front of a live audience at the Maiwa Textile Symposium. For that event, representative of the Artisans Alliance of Jawaja left their homes and travelled over 350 kilometers to Ahmedebad to participate in the teleconference presentation.

It is a dusty day when we drive in, but then it is almost always a dusty day in Rajasthan, with frequent drought and much desert. It's a hard place to live. When the dust settles we see the group waiting. We tumble out of the car and begin our formal greetings with "Namaste" No matter what is going to happen, it will happen after the social formalities have been properly completed.

After the greetings the entire group bursts into applause. Everyone is there: the women, the men, the children. Leatherworkers and weavers. Smiles are everywhere. It continues for some time and we, collectively, blush.

Not many of us get to see how our actions influence the lives of others. Cause and effect is hard to determine, especially in human interactions and especially between cultures. But when we met the group in the village square, and then moved on to the co-operative's warehouse we knew that we (and everyone who came to the auditorium that night for their presentation) had accomplished something. What impressed the artisans of Jawaja most was that when things went wrong (Canada refused the Artisans and translator Ashoke Chatterjee permission to enter the country.) Maiwa didn't give up. We didn't say "Well, we've tried - sorry." That confidence, that support; from people on the other side of the world, travelled a great distance and made a considerable impact.

The group faces many challenges of which the visa denials are only one example. As artisans they often focus closely on their craft, and (as with most craftspeople) problems can arise if the financial aspects of craft are not constantly watched. This is probably the area in which Maiwa can help most; financial planning, costing, estimating, and marketing.

As we wrapped up our meetings we took the group photo you see at the top. The feeling of pride was everywhere ... and as we turned to go we were told, "Of course, we still want to come to Canada!"

2010 has come in like a lion with a number of key events we'd like to share.

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Our very own Hilary Young, together with Patricia Chauncey has a new exhibit.
DOUBLE VISION — MORPHOS INQUIRY
will run at the Numen Gallery until February 14th, 2010. Meet the artists at the exhibit's opening reception:

Assam: Land of the Golden Silk - Part 3
(Our 2008 visit to Assam in search of three types of silk.)

We are strangers in Assam. So our first official obligation once we have driven off with Chandan (our contact) is to visit the local constabulary. The ritual of the host is very important in India. It is just as important (or maybe more so) at the police headquarters. We are given tea and biscuits and asked about our "program." We are welcomed, then left alone in a room while calls are made. Eventually we are permitted to continue with an armed escort of two officers. News of the morning's events in Guwahati has travelled quickly. We are told to keep a low profile and not to visit any public markets.

The first stop is to see some tussar moths. We leave the road and walk through a family compound. Entering a brick building through a screen door we are met with the humid damp air one usually finds in greenhouses. Rich and slightly cloying. On a table of cut branches, large tussar caterpillars are happily munching away at the green leaves. They are a bright green and slightly translucent. They are always either eating or resting. That is the life of a caterpillar.




In the back of the first room is a line of spun cocoons.



And in a second room are the adults. The moths rest on an egg stick. The females wear a harness of thread that keeps them from flying away. The males are free to visit the females and if they do, it is referred to as "pairing". The moths are tended constantly and in our photo you can see the cot which has been set up under a protective sheet. The pairing takes place by the end of abdomen.




Perhaps tussar can be domesticated. We didn't witness egg hatching or the earlier instars of the insect, but it seemed that it might possible to fully manage a brood inside. Reports that tussar cannot be domesticated go back quite far. In 1796, Michael Atkinson, stationed in Bengal, wrote a letter that became part of Dr. William Roxburgh's 1802 presentation to the Linnean Society. The letter reads:

"This species cannot be domesticated. I am informed that the natives cannot even retain any of it for seed. The hill people say that they go into jungles, and under the Byer and Asseen trees they find the excrement of the insect; on which they examine the tree, and, on discovering the small worms, they cut off branches of the tree sufficient for their purpose, with the young brood on the branches; these they carry to convenient situations near their houses, and distribute the branches on the Asseen tree in proportion to the size thereof, but they put none on the Byer tree. The Parieahs, or hill people, guard the insects night and day while in the worm state, to preserve them from crows and other birds by day, and from bats by night.

" I myself have seen them thus watching the brood. This species cannot be confined, for so soon as the moth pierces the cocoon it gets away; and the people add, that it is impossible to keep it, by any precaution whatever."

It may be that this one observation has been quoted many times. Dr. John Feltwell (mentioned in the previous post) cites it. Once we learned more about the life of the moth, the last paragraph seemed somewhat dubious. For two reasons: firstly, the adult moths emerge from the cocoon with wings like wet tissue paper. It takes time, sometimes hours, for the insect to pump fluid into the wings to fully expand them. Secondly, the sheer size of these moths would make them easily kept by even rudimentary netting. They are such a beautiful moth that it would be an honour to be a tussar keeper.

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