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 tour through Nepal, the Dane Gry Staunstrup got to know the astonishing openness and warmth of the country’s inhabitants, and their craftsmanship bedazzled her. She was able to observe in detail how adeptly and skilfully Nepalese women felted wool into a wide variety of objects. Staunstrup felt it was time to make something good out of the untapped potential, and an idea was born: to combine Nepalese handicrafts with Danish design. And the idea was immediately followed by action.

The company Gry & Sif started producing a variety of products made of wool felt in Nepal in 2000. The designs created by Gry Staunstrup are as remarkable as they are understated and, characteristic of Danish design, at the same time fresh and merry. Nepalese women turn them into products employing traditional handicrafts. Fair Trade certified by now, Gry & Sif stands for fair wages and working conditions, environmentally conscious production and transparency. The company exclusively sources pure new wool from New Zealand sheep for the felting; each of the resulting products is handmade and unique.