Yes — every specimen is a real butterfly. Nothing here is a printed replica or a resin cast. They are farm-raised, which means they were reared in an enclosure, lived out their full adult life (usually two to four weeks for the species I work with) and died of natural causes before they ever reached me.
No. The specimens I buy died at the end of their natural adult lifespan on breeding farms. The reason framed specimens are so often in perfect condition is precisely that they were reared rather than caught — a wild butterfly at the end of its life is usually chipped, torn and faded. Good condition is evidence of captive rearing, not evidence against it.
No. No CITES Appendix I species is stocked, offered, or accepted for commission here under any circumstances. Most species in the decorative trade appear on no CITES appendix at all. The species and country of origin for every piece is listed on its product page.
Because two butterflies are never the same shape, and because I do not reproduce work. There are no prints and no second editions. When a piece sells it is gone.
Four to six weeks. Most of that is drying time and cannot be compressed — a large swallowtail spends up to two weeks on the setting board, and any paint or ink in the ground layer needs days to cure fully before it can be sealed behind glass.
An interior wall, out of direct sunlight, in a room that stays roughly between 45–55% relative humidity and 18–22 °C. Hallways and landings are ideal. Bathrooms, kitchens, conservatories and the wall directly above a radiator are not.
Pigmentary colours — reds, yellows, oranges — fade under ultraviolet light. That is why every piece uses UV-filtering glazing, which blocks around 98% of UV. Structural colours, the iridescent blues and greens produced by the physical shape of the scale, do not fade at all.
Please do not. The continuous dust seal is what keeps carpet beetles out, and a carpet beetle needs a gap of about half a millimetre. If the inside of the glazing is hazed, something needs diagnosing rather than wiping — send me photographs.
Write to the studio. Almost anything made here can be reopened, treated and resealed. If it arrived damaged, photograph the outer packaging before unpacking further and email within 48 hours.
To most countries. Import rules for biological material vary considerably and remain the buyer's responsibility, so write with your destination before ordering and I will tell you what I know about it.
Still stuck?
Write to the studio — one person reads every message and photographs help enormously. Contact page →