Created in 2009 by Japanese artist Aki Inomata, these fantastic little cityscapes atop hermit crab shells were part of a body of work titled Why not hand over a shelter to hermit crabs?.

Keeping the welfare of the animal in mind, Inomata studied the needs of the hermit crab to select a compatible shell and used a CT scanner to image the interior of sea shells so she could adapt her own miniature sculptures into suitable homes.

The small buildings and skylines were then designed atop the plastic shell forms to mimic the architecture of various cities including New York, Tokyo, Bangkok and elsewhere.

As hermit crabs outgrow their shells it becomes necessary to find a new, larger home. With this project Inomata hoped to draw a parallel to our own need as humans to migrate or find shelter in a new city.