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Chinese

Brooch, early 1900s

Description

Maker

  • Unknown

Culture

Chinese

Title

Brooch

Year

early 1900s

Medium

Metal, kingfisher feathers; feather cloisonné

Dimensions

Length: 4.5 cm (1 3/4 inches)

Place

China

Type

  • Jewelry

Credit

Gift of Theodore Francis Green

Object Number

D21.468

Exhibition History

Exhibition History

Queen of the Insects

December 11, 2009 - May 9, 2010

One of the few natural materials to rival the butterfly’s wings in sheen and luster is the feathers of the kingfisher bird. While their habitat spans the globe, some of the finest variants of this species live in China and Cambodia. The feathers from the kingfisher possess a natural advantage over actual butterfly wings as a surface embellishment: although the wing of a butterfly may be used in jewelry, it must be placed under a glass cover to protect its fine scales from abrasion. The kingfisher feather, on the other hand, is remarkably stable, and retains its luster without encapsulation. The kingfisher feather was often used to mimic the butterfly in outstanding tien tzu–style headdresses, which were traditionally produced in Guangzhou (Canton) and Beijing (Peking). Look closely and you will find several examples of the tian-tsui technique butterfly nestled amongst the seed pearls and semi-precious gemstones decorating this extraordinary work of millinery art.

Use

The images on this website can enable discovery and collaboration and support new scholarship, and we encourage their use. This object is in Copyright. This object is Brooch with the accession number of D21.468. To request high-resolution files or new photography, please send an email to imagerequest@risd.edu and include your name and the object's accession number.

Feedback

We view our online collection as a living documents, and our records are frequently revised and enhanced. If you have additional information or have spotted an error, please send feedback to curatorial@risd.edu.

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