ocean thread

As someone who has made the study of fibers a major part of her profession, I felt the compulsion to share this archaeological find, woven from the threads of a mollusk (see diagram below...

Byssus cap from excavation at Saint-Denis

and, for a little history and photographs of the fiber in action, check out this blog:

History of sea byssus fiber

 

Another fiber artist, slightly more contemporary than the makers of the hat at Saint-Denis, melding biology and wearable threads is Dana Eng.  Oddly enough, if you compare the archaeological hat with the shirts of Eng, they have a similar aesthetic. Besides, I have always thought stained cross-sections of plant material can be like little abstract art pieces

Dana Eng- Laser Lace Inspiration

For further insight into the tiny world of science, art, plants, and fibers, check out this website from an exhibit I co-curated in 2008...(yes, shamelessly self-promoting)...

Beyond the Naked Eye

http://www.nps.gov/history/history/online_books/science/hartesveldt/chap5.htm

...and, for some final visual stimuli, and in honor of the tall trees all around me, a cross section of a sequoia cone...
Think small.