SOLD – OOAK hand sculpted air dry paper clay art-doll by Australian artist Dina.

‘Madame S. Caterpillar’ was inspired by the Saturnia Emperor Gum moths we have here and also found around the world. I loved how the bright green bodies of these caterpillars are spotted with bead-like ornaments of bright blue! However only one sub-human caterpillar comes to mind, Absolem from Alice in Wonderland, the fantastical hookah smoking character which Alice bumps into. Madame S. Caterpillar is an extension of this personality – bored with life, encrusted with personal riches, and assessing the little Alice as a droll child.

I have made this fixed doll-like sculpture with air-dry paper clay, glass eyes, hand dyed raw silk cloak trimmed with dyed and beaded mink fur trim. Her body and cloak is decorated in wonderful creatures, colorful Czech glass beads and finished with nice shiny things like Swarovski crystals. The hookah is a tiny Egyptian glass perfume bottle with a hand-made brass pipe; the coat is removable.

36cm high, 12 cm long