Copper
2009
Date&Material
Between a vermin and a national representative
Rosalia batesi (called “瑠璃星天牛 or 瑠璃星髪切=Ruriboshi-kamikiri “ in Japan) is a species in the family Cerambycidae (known as the longhorn beetles). The color is beautiful bright blue as “瑠璃 Ruri” in the Japanese name means lapis lazuli, thereby it often appears in the pictures of postage stamp; moreover, “Rosalia” in the binominal name is from the female name that represents a beautiful maiden, thus indicates the impressions of this species are same throughout the world.
After the death, this beautiful blue color rapidly changes into reddish brown, therefore the specimen is not able to preserve its beauty as it was alive.
The Chinese letters "天牛=Kamikirimushi " in the Japanese name literary means 天=sky, 牛=ox, are from the shape of its tentacles likened to "Ox's horns reaching the sky" .
Since they are a beautiful native species, many bugs lovers say that Rosalia batesi is the representative of Japanese beetles, mostly compared with Great purple emperor that presumably is the national butterfly of Japan, thus indicates their popularity is extraordinary.
On the other hand, Long horn beetles ruin wooden materials and living woods, thereby being considered a vermin and hated by many people who provide distinct assessments opposing to bugs lovers'.
The length of this species ranges 16 to 30 mm, thus classified in the middle sized Long horn beetle in Japan. There are no color differences by the sex, yet is an individual variety that ranges greenish blue to light blue, etc… Likewise, there are variations of the 3 pairs of black spots on their forewings in shape and size that diversified by the habitats, moreover, such diversity extends to the body surface, for instance, some individuals' are entirely covered by the velvety fur.
As the other Long horn beetles are, their tentacles grow over the body, that reach the length of twice longer than their bodies; especially the males’ tentacles grow more than the females’. The joints of tentacles separate themselves into many parts and two colors either blue or black; on the black joints, there are the bunches of short hair, make that parts look swollen.
In addition, this species is a symbol representing whom born on 25 August, with meaning “constant visitors” that may be describing the characteristic of the people.
This work is inspired by a ready-made model of Rosalia batesi, that I found in a encyclopedia at my studio featuring the primary colored Japanese insects; its beautiful figure and details encouraged me to create that with metal.
To depict the characteristic color as greenish blue, to make the real tentacles as long and thin; thus improved my technique, resulted this work quite clothed to my image of Rosalia batesi.