Insects and Spiders

Spider Shell Gorget (Araneus marmoreus) is a 2026 digital piece by Gina placing a marbled orb-weaver into a design based on Mississippian shell ornaments. Spider gorgets from Illinois related to this design date to about AD 1300. The spider's body holds a cross in a circle, hands face outward around the rim, and the Illinois State Museum suggests the cross may refer to annual renewal of life.