19th century Chinese jewelry made from bird feathers, an unusual concept in itself, is made even more unusual by the design subject of this piece. A man in a blue feather robe, perhaps a palace guard, stands in front of a pagoda created of feathers. His painted face is carved from a small oval white stone, and the figure stands about 1/4th inch out in front of the pagoda, creating a three dimensional scene. The bright blue feathers from a tiny kingfisher bird are affixed to a metal backing. King... Click for details
Iridescent blue feathers from a tiny kingfisher bird were used to create the five petals of this flower, centered with a polished piece of coral. Kingfisher feathers were used as decoration in China as early as the Han Dynasty, and articles of jewelry covered with the exotic feathers have been found in Tang tombs. In the 18th century the women of the court developed a taste for the large, intricate kingfisher feather headpieces that many of them are pictured wearing in ancestor portraits. Small ... Click for details
