Miniature Lampwork Glass Grasshopper

A tiny hand-formed glass grasshopper in a lovely translucent spring green. It has a ridged body, long folded jumping legs drawn out in fine threads of brighter lime glass, little front legs, tiny black eyes and two short antennae. Light glows right through it, so it looks almost alive on a sunny windowsill. It's about the length of a fingertip and sits flat and steady. It makes a charming curio for a cabinet, a terrarium or a miniature garden, and a sweet little gift for nature lovers. Maker unmarked. It's in good condition.

The real thing is an athlete. A grasshopper can leap about 20 times its own body length in a long jump. Scientists have studied the physiology of that leap for decades, and its mix of muscle power and spring-like energy storage has helped inspire ideas in engineering and robotics.