French artist Hubert Duprat has made many types of sculptures over the past few decades, but these gilded caddisfly casings are my favorites. I love these tiny gilt insect homes.
Caddisflies live in streams and ponds and protect themselves by spinning silk with debris found along lake bottoms. They use any small bits available to make their sheaths, be it sand, bone bits, shell, plant material, etc.
French artist Hubert Duprat moved some of the caddisfly larvae into a home aquarium, and provided them with only gold, jewels, and semi-precious stones to build their sheaths. The materials used includes gold spangles, diamonds, sapphires, rubies, pearls, opals, lapis lazuli, turquoise, and coral.
