More Info: Acrylic Framed Butterflies
Acrylic (Lucite, plexiglass) frames are sealed airtight, clear, wall mounted, three dimensional display cases and are the recommended display option for real butterflies. Butterflies are three dimensional so ideally they shouldn't be mounted in one dimensional frames. These clear cases allow you to easily view both sides of the butterfly simply by flipping over the case (the undersides of the wings are often beautiful and different than the uppersides). We glue a small clear acrylic hanging device to the back of the cases (hidden behind a butterfly) and include perfectly sized nails to fit the hanging device so all you need is a hammer, a wall, and a few seconds to easily hang your display.
Also note that the smaller cases (10x13 and smaller) can be displayed on a flat surface using a display stand if you desire. We currently don't sell stands though but you can find one at a local store.
In most multiple butterfly displays, the butterflies are mounted on thin, clear rods of varying lengths, enhancing the perception that the butterflies are in mid-flight. Although very time consuming, placing all the butterflies on rods truly creates a three dimensional display, something that could never be done with a traditional frame. The rods also allow us to angle and tilt select butterflies. For example, if a butterfly is flying towards the right side of the case we'll make the right wings closer to the base and the left wings closer to the top of the case (think how an airplane turns). This is where acrylic rods play the biggest role in creating a realistic display. Deeper cases will use longer and more varied size rods. The more we vary the size of the rods, the more three dimensional the display is. This is why our large cases are 2 1/4 inches deep.
Mounting on rods allow the butterfly wings to float freely, they are not flattened like they are in some frames. Iridescent butterflies look much better in acrylic cases, when they are flattened by glass the glare somewhat obscures the iridescence. Very often when you put a flat poster, painting etc. on your wall it kind of becomes part of the wall. After a while, you barely notice it. When these butterflies are "floating" inches off your wall at all different angles and directions they will always catch your eye.
Also note that if you bring your case to a custom framing company they can frame it in a wood, metal frame etc. but that's certainly not necessary, one of the great things about the acrylic case is that the focus is on the butterflies, not the frame. Our acrylic cases have rounded sides and smooth corners, very elegant.
Custom orders / substitution requests are welcome although an additional fee will usually apply. Note that for some large displays some butterflies are "interchangable" so the display you receive may vary slightly from the picture on our site. We can't update our multiple butterfly display pictures every time we get a cool new butterfly, however we can guarantee that the large multiple butterfly displays will only use magnificent butterflies. We are always trying to "upgrade" our displays with the best butterflies available.
About our U-bend Acrylic Frames:
Our acrylic cases are "U-bend" style which we believe are the highest quality type of acrylic frames. While traditional acrylic frames have 6 pieces of acrylic glued together (4 sides, top & bottom), our cases have 4 pieces of acrylic glued together. The longer top piece of acrylic is heated and bent to create 2 sides. Therefore on 2 sides of the case there is no seam, it's just curved to meet the bottom piece of acrylic. While it's difficult to see the difference on the internet, in person it really looks great and the corners are all rounded as well. U-bend cases are more time consuming to work with, some other artists simply use standard cases with 90 degree sides and corners but they're not as aesthetically pleasing in our opinion.