A Bejewelled Kingfisher Feather-Embellished Headdress, Chao Guan

QING DYNASTY

Details

A Bejewelled Kingfisher Feather-Embellished Headdress, Chao Guan
Qing Dynasty
The cap formed by silk-covered wire and black silk mesh decorated with delicate spring-mounted motifs inlaid with kingfisher feathers, the front with three circular foliate plaques containing tourmaline butterflies with wings of jadeite perched on flower blossoms composed of seed pearls, tourmaline, and jadeite, bordered above with eight rectangular plaques containing butterflies and flowers, and below with a central floral motif of a single large tourmaline cabochon surrounded by seed pearls, the top with a large coral butterfly with jadeite wings perched on a large flower of tourmaline and seed pearls amidst floral sprays enhanced by further jadeite, seed pearls, amethyst and citrine; together with a cloisonné hat stand with overall multi-colored floral scroll and chrysanthemum sprays encircling the base
11in. (28.5cm.) across, the hat stand 12¾in. (32.4cm.) high

Lot Essay

A similar headdress is illustrated by Stephen W. Bushell, Victoria and Albert Museum, Chinese Art, London, 1924, vol. II, fig. 108. Another headdress was exhibited by Linda Wrigglesworth in The Accessory, 3-26 April 1991, p. 7. See, also, those sold in our Hong Kong rooms, 28 April 1996, lot 41 and in these rooms, 22 March 1999, lot 101.

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