Thursday, April 7, 2011

Fantasy Flowers From Brazil

Spray rose bouquet with a Pantams bow

Another "find" from Market, these fantasy floral creations from Brazil are made from skeletonized leaves and assembled into blossoms. You might have come across such leaves while strolling through a meadow, but they are fragile and best left on the vine to enjoy.

Delicate tracery of complex veins
In nature, insects and larvae consume the chlorophyll flesh of the leaf revealing the complex vein structure. Today, craftsmen gather deciduous leaves and skeletonize them through a process of cooking, washing, drying, and then dyeing to create the "vegetal fabric" for the Pantams.

It is said that craftsmen developed the process of skeletonizing centuries ago during the Ming dynasty. During the Victorian era there was a resurgence of interest in all things natural.  This process was again employed for the leaves used in "Phantom Bouquets". The unique bouquets are reported to have been made to impress the English nobility.

Fantasy blue "rose" with multicolored petals
We think they are enchanting by themselves, tied to a vase, or attached to a bouquet as a memento to keep long after the fresh flowers have faded.

Fantasy Hellebore blossoms