Curator Celia here. Full disclosure: I love bats. I find all bats adorable. All bats, all the time. I’m a bat nerd. However, bats seem to get even cuter around Halloween, and everyone could practice a little bat appreciation at this time of year, right? (If nothing else, they’re indispensable to the world’s ecosystems: they pollinate flowers, disperse fruit seeds, and consume an astounding number of insects.) Today’s exhibit highlights some of the wonderful bat-themed items made by Etsy artisans.
Going Batty!
This Halloween letterpress card from Flora and Fauna Press is just right for sending holiday greetings to all. The bats were drawn by hand and the card is printed on 100% recycled/reclaimed paper on an antique Vandercook press. The brown kraft paper cover stock is a perfect background for the black and orange of the season.
HoKiou sculpted a miniature scene straight from a scary movie, complete with three flying bats. Big bats (well, big little bats) are made of polymer clay, placed under a glass dome and attached to an adjustable brass ring. Isn’t it lovely? This is one bauble I’d like to have adorn my hand all year long.
These tiny edible bats are made of wafer paper and come as a set of 30 in gold, silver, and pearl; they’re easily attached to a glass, cup, or plate with a touch of corn syrup. An original design by Sweet Déjà Vu — brilliant. They can also top frosting or fondant to decorate the perfect Halloween dessert.
What I love about this soap dish by antb is the subtlety of the coloring and the classic style of the vintage bat drawing. The stoneware clay dish was thrown on a potters wheel, glazed, and fired with the decal permanently in the glaze. Since they’re food safe, I’d like two, please — one for my soap, and one for my snack.
RGII Metal Works makes a whole line of bat sculptures from large fruit bats (seen here) to wee bumblebee bats. Created from recycled heavy gauge matte grey steel, it’s been coated with multiple applications of clear acrylic to protect it from the elements.
This gorgeous print by Nancy LaBerge Muren is a reproduction of her original watercolor painting. Beautiful and light, the bat dives in on outspread wings with such a joyful expression! The artist’s works have been featured on the sets of the TV shows “Modern Family” and “Better with You.”
It’s a bat! It’s a dog! It’s . . . it’s a chihuahua with bat wings! I just couldn’t resist. This photograph by Dale O’Dell is one in a series of photographs of a very accommodating pup in costume. If you’re a chihuahua lover or a bat lover — or both — this print will add some whimsy to your art collection.
Oh, dear. Dear, dear little bat. This necklace by Melissa Contreras of Axelhoney is just the end-all of everything wonderful about bats. This little one is hand carved using the lost wax technique, cast in sterling silver, oxidized to add depth and detail, and strung on a contrasting gold-fill chain.(Curator Violet: That bat is totally looking at me like “Will you be my mama?”)
Keep Supporting Handmade — and Happy Halloween!
Curator Celia
{ 5 comments… read them below or add one }
Oh, that bat necklace is wonderful! But I would LOVE to have some bat sculptures circling my house this autumn! Wonderful finds! Thanks so much for including my soap dish to your collection!
Love this article, thank you! I am also a bat lover. So much that I had one tattooed on my left wrist. Now off to shop for some of those metal work hanging bats :}
Great exhibit….even though I am terrified of bats, and the idea of eating even a wafer edible bat is unthinkable. But the items Celia chose are wonderful!
Bats are evil but adorable at the same time. How can you NOT like that tiny edible bat during this time of year?
What an excellent post! The bat soap dish is stunning. Thank you for featuring our fruit bat! It was very kind of you and much appreciated.