Spider silk

The only large textiles in the world to have been created from the silk of spiders have gone on display at the V&A. The exhibition, which runs until June 5, features a cape made from golden silk spun by more than a million spiders and sits alongside a four-metre long piece of brocaded fabric, which took more than four years to create.

The golden orb spiders were collected in the highlands of Madagascar and their silk was used by Englishman Simon Peers and American Nicholas Godley.

Peers said: “We were keen to show the spider silk textiles at the V&A, being the most appropriate place to premiere this work in Europe. The unique and historic costume and textile collections have been a constant source of inspiration over the years.
 
“As far as we know the V&A has never before shown anything made from spider silk, despite its diverse collections of art and decorative arts. So we are pleased and very proud to be adding a first to a museum with such a rich, long and illustrious history, and would like to think that we in turn can be an inspiration to others.”
The last known spider silk textile was created at the end of the 19th century for the Paris Exposition Universelle in 1900, but no examples remain.

Images: V&A