The Butterfly Ginkgo collection celebrates the representation of flora as fauna. Michael's fascination with a particular type of ginkgo tree, the ginkgo Biloba, or Butterfly Ginkgo, which grows with a double leaf reminiscent of a butterfly's wings, gave rise to a fantasia image of the plant. Executed at the highest level of handcraftsmanship, each piece is rendered in solid brass with etched cocoon-shaped vessels. The pieces in the collection are a tour de force of Indian craft and capture the poetic spirit that is so deeply indicative of Michael's work. The first time I saw this tree, it looked like it had been completely overtaken by butterflies...as if we would all take flight the moment I walked too close or made a noise. The idea that the leaves could evoke the beauty of butterflies was magical to me, like trees that can metamorphose from flora to fauna in the blink of an eye.