Six Weeks in the Life of a Silkworm
Rozome on Kimono Silk,
embellished
with Japanese gofun (powdered oyster shell).
22 x 28"
$600
Bombyx mori, the mulberry silkmoth, has been valued for the strength and beauty of its cocoon for thousands of years. Now domesticated, the silkmoth is the center of an industry that spans Asia. From egg, to leaf-munching larva, to cocooning pupa, then to flightless moth, its life generally lasts only six to eight weeks.
For an interesting description of the life cycle of this creature visit the website of Kiranada, who raised her own silkmoths.
In her own words: "With a desire to more fully understand the little beings that produce silk which has been the substrate of my artistic work for over thirty years, I took on a “summer project” to raise some silk worms in the ahimsa (non-harm) method, allowing a complete life cycle from egg to moth." —Kiranada Sterling Benjamin