Red Death’s-Head Hawkmoth Sticker – Gothic Moth Art

A death’s-head hawkmoth takes center stage in an ornate gothic display of deep red roses, dark foliage and macabre details. This original sticker combines natural-history imagery with a dark Victorian-inspired presentation.

Sticker details

• One sticker featuring original Cerebroscope Studio artwork
• Synthetic PP with a glossy protective laminate
• Water-resistant
• Printed, laminated and contour-cut in Germany

Available sizes

• Longest side approximately 6 cm (Medium)

For decorating notebooks, journals, laptops and other smooth surfaces.

Explore Handmade Stickers, Gothic & Horror Stickers, Botanical Stickers.

From the Cerebroscope archive

Z.O.M.B. LABORATORIES

Archived Entomological Preparation 124-R

Contents: Lepidopteran specimen with decorative material
Condition on acquisition: Already prepared
Original preparator: Unknown

Omb's first problem is not the moth.

It's the preparation.

The specimen arrived already mounted inside the ornate oval arrangement. Nothing accompanying it explains who assembled it, when, or why.

Records

Pretty.

Z. Omb

Yes.

Records

That's all?

Z. Omb

No.

Records

There it is.

The moth is examined without removing it from the display.

General morphology is consistent with a death's-head hawkmoth.

The familiar skull-like thoracic marking is visible.

Records

Death moth.

Z. Omb

Death's-head hawkmoth.

Records

Because of the skull.

Z. Omb

Because that is the common name.

Records

Because of the skull.

Z. Omb

The marking contributed to the name, yes.

Records

Excellent. Death moth.

Z. Omb

No.

Records asks whether the marking actually resembles a human skull.

Omb looks at it again.

This becomes a mistake.

Reference photographs are collected.

Then human skull images.

Then other examples of apparent faces and familiar forms perceived in ambiguous visual patterns.

A folder appears:

124-R — THORACIC MARKING MORPHOMETRICS

Records

You made skull measurements.

Z. Omb

I made comparative measurements.

Records

Of how skull-like the skull moth's skull is.

Z. Omb

That sentence contains several assumptions.

Records

How skull-like is it?

Pause.

Z. Omb

Moderately.

The analysis does produce something useful.

Individual moths show substantial variation in the thoracic marking.

Humans nevertheless tend to recognize a skull-like configuration in it.

Omb adds a note:

Recognizable resemblance does not require anatomical accuracy.

Records adds underneath:

Still looks like a skull.

Omb leaves it.

Then Omb notices the flowers.

The roses are examined visually.

Preserved botanical material.

The spider is next.

Records

Please don't tell me you're going to identify every object in the frame.

Z. Omb

I wasn't.

Records

Good.

Z. Omb

Until you asked.

Records

That was not a request.

Eventually Cerebroscope intervenes.

ARCHIVE MANAGEMENT NOTICE

The purpose of accession documentation is to preserve useful information about an object.
>
It is not necessary to determine the taxonomic identity, chemical composition and provenance of every decorative component before the object may be catalogued.

Handwritten underneath:

“Useful” is insufficiently defined. — Z.O.

Second handwriting:

No.

The preparation remains intact.

That matters more than satisfying every available question.

The moth could be removed for easier examination, but doing so would destroy information about the object as it was received.

Omb therefore documents the entire arrangement before considering any invasive work.

And then doesn't perform any.

Records

You could get better measurements if you removed it.

Z. Omb

Yes.

Records

But you're not going to.

Z. Omb

Correct.

Records

Because it's pretty?

Z. Omb

Because destruction of the preparation is not justified by the questions currently being asked.

Pause.

Records

And because it's pretty?

Z. Omb

That is not part of the methodology.

CURRENT RECORD

Central specimen: Death's-head hawkmoth, identification supported
Thoracic skull-like marking: Normal characteristic morphology
Anomaly: None detected
Decorative preparation: Predates Cerebroscope acquisition
Red botanical material: Roses or rose-like preserved material
Additional decorative organisms/forms: Present; incompletely classified
Preparation dismantled: No
Reason: Destructive examination unjustified
Research priority: Low

Catalogue note:

The arrangement should be preserved as received.

Records has highlighted the sentence.

Next to it:

because it's pretty

Omb has drawn an arrow to the official justification and written:

Because it is information.

No one removes Records' note.