An elaborately embroidered shawl and a fabulous cape woven from the silk of a million golden orb spiders from the highlands of Madagascar . . . the fabric is so gossamer-light you can't feel it touch your skin . . . and, most breath-taking of all, this luminous gold is the undyed 'straight-from-the-spider' colour!Don't these just sound like enchanted objects straight from the pages of a Greek myth or a fairy tale?
Surely, anyone wearing a garment crafted from such rare and exotic silk must be granted three wishes or eternal youth or invisibility or something?
I had to stop making the breakfast to listen to the whole story on Radio Four's Today programme last week . . .
I can't wait to go see these magical garments when they go on display at the Victoria and Albert museum from 25th January.
Then I may just have to write a fairy tale . . .Once upon a time, in the highlands of Madagascar, lived a princess whose heart's desire was a shawl spun from pure gold . . .
Rumpeltstiltskin, eat your heart out!