Hi!
This might seem rather an unusual posting, however here goes!
I am having a harpsichord built at present, and it is necessary to specify a decorative scheme for the soundboard. Traditional schemes included birds, flowers, butterflies. I am interested in creating a scheme associated with the Suffolk coast, including wading birds and local flora. I would also like to include one or two local species of butterfly.
Can anyone advise me on butterflies local to the East Anglian coast?
Thanks very much.
Stephen Wainman
Harpsichord decoration
-
Padfield
- Administrator
- Posts: 8166
- Joined: Sun Nov 05, 2006 10:19 pm
- Location: Leysin, Switzerland
- Contact:
Re: Harpsichord decoration
What a lovely idea. Benjy would be proud.
Although I live in Switzerland, I'm a Suffolk boy at heart, and more particularly, a Suffolk Coastal boy.
The Suffolk coastal sandling heaths are a national treasure and the jewel in their crown is the silver-studded blue. That would be a lovely insect to have on a harpsichord, perched on pink heather (sadly, a certain major supermarket who dug up and repositioned an area of heath to build a store chose this butterfly as their symbol, but that shouldn't stop you). The other characteristic butterfly of the Suffolk coast - which reaches the actual coast in rather more places - is the grayling. The artist should be aware that if the (rather attractive) upperside of a grayling is shown, the grayling should be in flight - the butterfly never perches or settles with the upperside visible.
Other Suffolk coastal species of note are purple hairstreaks (very common, including at several coastal localities, like Minsmere and Dunwich, for example), small copper (often flies down on the shingle, where plants are pushing through), common blue (usually just in from the coast, behind sea walls, &c.), wall brown (similarly, usually behind sea walls, in sheltered spots), small heaths (another one that should be depicted underside only, if perched or settled), small and Essex skippers (Essex skippers obviously have at least a nominal association with East Anglia) and ... well, you don't want a list of everything in Suffolk, do you?!
Guy
Although I live in Switzerland, I'm a Suffolk boy at heart, and more particularly, a Suffolk Coastal boy.
The Suffolk coastal sandling heaths are a national treasure and the jewel in their crown is the silver-studded blue. That would be a lovely insect to have on a harpsichord, perched on pink heather (sadly, a certain major supermarket who dug up and repositioned an area of heath to build a store chose this butterfly as their symbol, but that shouldn't stop you). The other characteristic butterfly of the Suffolk coast - which reaches the actual coast in rather more places - is the grayling. The artist should be aware that if the (rather attractive) upperside of a grayling is shown, the grayling should be in flight - the butterfly never perches or settles with the upperside visible.
Other Suffolk coastal species of note are purple hairstreaks (very common, including at several coastal localities, like Minsmere and Dunwich, for example), small copper (often flies down on the shingle, where plants are pushing through), common blue (usually just in from the coast, behind sea walls, &c.), wall brown (similarly, usually behind sea walls, in sheltered spots), small heaths (another one that should be depicted underside only, if perched or settled), small and Essex skippers (Essex skippers obviously have at least a nominal association with East Anglia) and ... well, you don't want a list of everything in Suffolk, do you?!
Guy
Guy's Butterflies: https://www.guypadfield.com
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
The Butterflies of Villars-Gryon : https://www.guypadfield.com/villarsgryonbook.html
Re: Harpsichord decoration
Thankyou very much, Guy! I appreciate your response. We clearly share a love (and feeling of home) for the Suffolk coast. I was walking at Dunwich/Minsmere recently.
This will enable me to specify appropriate butterflies for the artist to include in the scheme.
It will be perhaps a unique design; oddly enough it seems to have been more normal to include parrots than indigenous birds, in the decoration.
Many thanks, again.
Stephen
This will enable me to specify appropriate butterflies for the artist to include in the scheme.
It will be perhaps a unique design; oddly enough it seems to have been more normal to include parrots than indigenous birds, in the decoration.
Many thanks, again.
Stephen