Butterfly felt - peacock eye

The Peacock butterfly (Aglais io) owes its German name to the striking wing coloration with the "eyes". But why it got the species name Io in the taxonomy requires a more daring derivation. A first clue: According to Greek mythology, Io was very beautiful - reason enough to suffer the fate of so many classical Greek beauties and to be seduced by Zeus, the father of the gods. Zeus' wife Hera, known more for her jealousy than her acquiescence to open relationships, of course did not let this go and had Io (by now transformed into a white cow) guarded by the hundred-eyed (aha!) Argos. For Argos, however, the story ended anything but well: He was beheaded.

The peacock butterfly, which was named Butterfly of the Year 2009, has better prospects. Its namesake, felted by hand from New Zealand virgin wool, will also behave more steadily than the fickle figures of Greek mythology. Even in the long run, the peacock eye will enrich your decorative arrangements from spring to winter with its colorful charisma - in the branches of a bouquet or in the bowl lined with leaves and flowers, on the place setting of the Sunday table or even as a small gift.

During her backpacking trip through Nepal, the Dane Gry Staunstrup was immediately captivated by the openness and warmth of the people - and by their craftsmanship. She was able to observe in detail how skillfully and skilfully Nepalese women felted wool into Objekten. The idea of using this skill and combining Nepalese craftsmanship with Danish design was quickly born. And the idea was immediately followed by action.

Since 2000, the company Gry & Sif has been producing a wide range of products from wool felt in Nepal. The designs supplied by Gry Staunstrup are in typical Danish design, as striking as they are discreet and at the same time carefree and cheerful; the production is carried out by Nepalese women using traditional craftsmanship. Now Fair Trade certified, Gry & Sif stands for fair wages, good working conditions and transparency. Only pure new wool from New Zealand sheep is used for the felt products - each of which is unique and handmade.