Cocoons Collection

Honey Bee - Queen & workers on comb
JLM-9590 Honeybee - Queen & workers on comb John Mason Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Tarantula / Bird-eating Spider - at nest carrying egg cocoon
LB-10906 Tarantula / Bird-eating Spider - at nest carrying egg cocoon Ian Beames Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Larval (and pupal) case of bagworm, or psychid moth, constructed of plant fragments
ROG-11484 BAGWORM / PSYCHID MOTH - larval and pupal case of Bagworm or Psychid moth, constructed of plant fragments Psyche sp Bob Gibbons Please note that prints are for personal display purposes

Silk Moth - cross section of cocoon
PPG-180 Silk Moth - cross section of cocoon Bombyx mori Pascal Goetgheluck contact details: prints@ardea.com tel: +44 (0) 20 8318 1401

Sorting silk cocoons, 1885
3480218 Sorting silk cocoons, 1885; (add.info.: US silk production. Sorting silk cocoons, 1885.); Universal History Archive/UIG.

Silk spinning machine, 1843
3480176 Silk spinning machine, 1843; (add.info.: Silk spinning machine: in this process the threads from the cocoons were joined into a continuous thread: Lombe's silk mill, Derby)

Man drying silkworm cocoons over a charcoal pan surrounded by bamboo screen and using blanket
531652 Man drying silkworm cocoons over a charcoal pan surrounded by bamboo screen and using blanket and fan to regulate draught

Engraving depicting the feeding of Silkworms and sorting the cocoons in China
3521195 Engraving depicting the feeding of Silkworms and sorting the cocoons in China; (add.info.: Engraving depicting the feeding of silkworms and sorting of the cocoons in China)

Brush footed butterfly (Lycorea sp. ) caterpillar with parasitic wasp cocoons on silk threads
Brush footed butterfly (Lycorea sp.) caterpillar with parasitic wasp cocoons on silk threads, Yasuni National Park, Orellana, Ecuador

Bullseye Moth (Automeris io) showing wings expanding after emerging from cocoon. Captive, originating from North and Central America. Sequence 10 of 10

Plate 6 (Examining the Newly Spun Cocoons), from the series "Kaiko Yashinai-gusa", Japan, c. 1772

Drying Silk Cocoons in India
A silk factory in India, showing the latest and most approved method. Cocoons exposed in the sun in large flats trays to dry the silk and also kill the grub inside each cocoon. Date: late 1890s

Silkworms (chromolitho)
2782771 Silkworms (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Silkworms. Liebig card, published in late 19th or early 20th century)

Chinese silk - dyeing and weaving
Chinese silk loom, is shown; the figure seated above among the machinery, appears to assist the labour by means of weight. Date: 1833

Chinese silk - winding from the cocoons
Winding off the silk into singles, but the woman appears for the moment to have left her post for the purpose of blowing the fire. Date: 1833

Chinese silk - cleaning the cocoons
The cocoons being completed by the insect, are being cleared of dirt and dead leaves, before they are removed from the frames. Date: 1833

Silk Manufacture in the Lebanon (engraving)
1060402 Silk Manufacture in the Lebanon (engraving) by English School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Silk Manufacture in the Lebanon)

The Silk Industry in India (b / w photo)
1056610 The Silk Industry in India (b/w photo) by English photographer, (19th century) (after); Private Collection; (add.info.: The Silk Industry in India)

Ancient Chinese magnanery, 2700 BC (chromolitho)
2782874 Ancient Chinese magnanery, 2700 BC (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Ancient Chinese magnanery, 2700 BC)

Silk cocoon market in India, 500 BC (chromolitho)
2782873 Silk cocoon market in India, 500 BC (chromolitho) by European School, (19th century); Private Collection; (add.info.: Silk cocoon market in India, 500 BC)

Monks bringing the first silk cocoons to the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople (chromolitho)
2782872 Monks bringing the first silk cocoons to the Emperor Justinian in Constantinople (chromolitho) by European School

Twins
Maryam Zahirimehr

Almost free
Jimmy Hoffman

Copula
Jimmy Hoffman

Love in a cocoon
Alejandro Marcos

after the midnight
Hari Sulistiawan

Imported Silk Reeling Machine at Tsukiji in Tokyo, 4th month, 1872

Silk culture in China 1857
Preparing raw silk. Date: 1857

Eye Ubiquitous_20087589
China, Jiangsu Suzhou, Suzhou Silk Museum, Silk worm cocoons

Cocoonery - Silk Manufacture - Syria. Date: circa 1905s

Raising silkworms in the attic of a Gassho-zukuri house, Ainokura Village, Gokayama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan

Razing silkworms in the attic of a Gassho-zukuri house, Ainokura Village, Gokayama, Toyama Prefecture, Japan

Peacock Butterfly pupa. UK
DOW-222 Peacock Butterfly pupa UK Inachis io Steve Downer Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in anyway

Silk Production Reeling Thread Threads Silk Cocoons
Silk production in Europe in the 16th century. Reeling threads of silk from cocoons. From Vermis Sericus, a series of engravings by Karel van Mallery after a work by Jan van der Straet

Winding Off Silk Cocoons Shinichi Suzuki Japanese
Winding Off the Silk From the Cocoons; Shinichi Suzuki (Japanese, 1835 - 1919); Japan; about 1873 - 1883; Hand-colored Albumen silver print

Brimstone Butterfly - Pupa - UK
DAC-770 Brimstone Butterfly - Pupa UK Gonepteryx rhamni David Chapman Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Monarch Butterfly - emerging
JZ-1585 Monarch Butterfly - emerging Dananus plexippus Jim Zipp Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Adult male silkmoth emerging from coccoon
PM-9940 Adult male silkmoth emerging from coccoon Bombyx mori Pat Morris Please note that prints are for personal display purposes only and may not be reproduced in any way

Caterpillar of Silkmoth (Bombyx mori) in cocoon woven inbetween leaves

Caterpillar (Lepidoptera) spinning a web

Black-veined White Butterfly - masses of pupae on birch-tree bark (Aporia crataegi). South Tuva, Russia

Newly emerged Black-veined White butterfly (Aporia crataegi). South Tuva, Russia

The Brazilian Silk Worm Exhibit, Philadelphia Exhibition, 1. A'(A) the Moth Laying Eggs
THE BRAZILIAN SILK WORM EXHIBIT, PHILADELPHIA EXHIBITION, 1.a'(a) The Moth laying Eggs; (b) Silk-worm one day old; (c) Silk-worm three days old; (d) Silk-worm seven days old

Japan - Silk Industry - Silkworms begin to construct cocoons Date: circa 1909

Japan - Silk Industry - Reeling the cocoons by foot reel Date: circa 1909

Japanese Silk Industry - Storing the Cocoons Date: circa 1910

Japanese Silk Industry - Reeling the Cocoons by Hand-reel Date: circa 1910

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"Cocoons: Nature's Hidden Treasures" Cocoons, the enigmatic creations of various creatures, hold within them a world of wonder and transformation. From the bustling honey bee colony to the intricate nest of a tarantula, these cocoons serve as protective sanctuaries for their inhabitants. In the depths of a beehive, we witness the diligent work of honey bees. The queen and her workers delicately construct combs where they raise their young and store sweet nectar. Within these hexagonal chambers lie future generations waiting to emerge into a buzzing world. Meanwhile, high up in trees or hidden underground, tarantulas carefully carry egg cocoons with utmost care. These silk-wrapped packages safeguard precious spiderlings until they are ready to embark on their own arachnid adventures. The bagworm moth takes cocoon construction to another level by fashioning its larval case using plant fragments. A masterpiece blending nature's materials into an impenetrable fortress that shields it during its transformative journey from caterpillar to winged beauty. Silk moths spin elegant cocoons with fine threads that encase their pupae in silken splendor. These delicate structures reveal cross-sections showcasing nature's artistry at its finest - layers upon layers forming a sanctuary for metamorphosis. But not all cocoons house only one inhabitant; some become hosts for parasitic wasps seeking shelter on silk threads spun by brush-footed butterfly caterpillars. A macabre sight indeed, as tiny cocoons dangle like eerie ornaments amidst the vibrant tapestry of life. Centuries ago in Japan, Shunsho captured moments frozen in time through his artwork depicting people examining newly spun cocoons. Plate 6 from his series "Kaiko Yashinai-gusa" transports us back to 1772 when fascination with these natural wonders transcended cultures and eras. Across continents in India, silk they can carefully dried under the sun's warm embrace.