Butterfly Specimen

With connotations ranging from good luck to reincarnation alongside their breathtaking coloring, butterflies have been incorporated into artistic decoration and cultural iconography for millennia. The practice of collecting butterfly specimens, however, is much a more recent trend that was launched as part of an overall fascination with natural history during the Victorian age.

Over the course of the 19th century, European audiences experienced a growing fascination with natural history. Enthusiasts began amassing collections of various specimens, including butterflies. Cherished for both their ethereal nature and their brilliant colors, butterflies became the focal point of many specimen collections. Some collectors augmented the wings of their butterflies with hand-painted elements to accentuate their luminous glisten.

The delicacy and dynamic color-changing characteristics of the butterfly served as ongoing inspiration for designs in other art fields, particularly during the Art Nouveau era. Preserved specimens from the past continue to draw the attention of collectors, as they reflect the immense variety in species, some of which are now extinct.

Quick Facts

• The ancient Egyptians frequently incorporated representations of butterflies in their wall paintings, but it was more for their beauty than for their symbolic significance
• The "Ornithoptera alexandrea," also known as Queen Alexandra's Birdwing, is the world's largest, and also one of the rarest, butterflies. Its wingspan can be more than 9 inches across
• "Butterfly World," the world's largest butterfly park, is located in Coconut Creek, Florida and features more than 5,000 live specimens