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Kingfisher Feather Hairpin browse these categories for related items... All Items: Chinese: Jewelry: Kingfisher: Pre 1900: item #296191 Please refer to our stock #54-34 when inquiring.
$275 |
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| 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 hair ornaments such as this one became fashionable outside the court during the late 19th century and were created in hundreds of motifs and designs. (See the article "Kingfisher Feather Jewelry" by Roland Hartman, Arts of Asia magazine, May/June 1980.) Artisans devoted an exhaustive amount of labor and bird feathers to designing and hand assembling the pieces. The feathers were affixed to a metal backing. Each piece of metal was edged with a thin lip, then the feathers were painstakingly cut to exact size to fit separate metal sections, and carefully attached with thin adhesive so they retained brilliant color and iridescence. This piece from the late 19th century is in very good condition, although kingfisher feather items are somewhat fragile and must be handled carefully to avoid damage to the feathers. Dimensions: height 1" (3 cm), width 1 1/2" (4 cm). | |||||
