Ethalion | Whimsical

A one-of-a-kind handmade gothic shadowbox, created for lovers of dark, whimsical and naturalistic aesthetics.

This piece features a real preserved Charaxes ethalion male specimen — a striking African butterfly with deep, matte black wings — displayed within an ornate hand-cast, hand-painted vintage-style frame with gold finish and black detailing. The butterfly rests within a gothic tracery window (maswerk), surrounded by a lush composition of mosses, lichens and fungi.

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Details:

• Real preserved Charaxes ethalion male butterfly specimen
• Hand-cast and hand-painted ornate frame with gold finish and black detailing
• Gothic tracery window (maswerk) ornament, handmade
• Preserved mosses, lichens and fungi
• Ready to hang

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About the frame:
The frame is entirely handmade from start to finish. I cast it myself from my own original moulds, then sand, paint and lacquer each piece by hand. The glass is hand-cut to fit. The wooden back is sanded and lined with velvet, then finished with lace trim. No two frames are identical.

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Processing:
Ready to ship.

One of a kind — you will receive the exact piece shown.

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Shipping
Carefully packaged to ensure safe delivery.
Original design — no copies permitted.

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Size
23cm x 16cm

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LORE
He arrived on a Tuesday, which is not a day that tends to announce itself. No one saw him come in. The window was closed, and yet there he was, settled into the tracery as though he had always been there, as though the stone had grown around him rather than the other way around.

He has not moved since. The moss seems to like him. The fungi lean slightly in his direction, which is either coincidence or something else entirely. He does not appear to eat. He does not appear to sleep. He simply rests in the arch of the window with his black wings unfolded, watching the garden with the patient attention of something that has nowhere else to be and no particular interest in leaving.