Details
AN EXTREMELY RARE ANTIQUE KINGFISHER FEATHER, PEARL AND GEMSET NECKLACE
Composed of eleven gilt silver panels, the front five heavily embellished with ruby and spinel flowers with pearl centres and jadeite feather details, circa 1900, some kingfisher feather deficient
length 37 cm
Composed of eleven gilt silver panels, the front five heavily embellished with ruby and spinel flowers with pearl centres and jadeite feather details, circa 1900, some kingfisher feather deficient
length 37 cm
Further details
Kingfisher feather jewellery first gained popularity in the Ming dynasty, appearing in important imperial jewellery of the period. It reached a height of popularity among the aristocratic classes in the early Qing; of the pieces exhibited in the national palace collection, most of those of a Qianlong and earlier date have kingfisher feather inlay. Necklaces incorporating Kingfisher feather are extremely rare there being no publsihed examples in either National Palace museium collection. However, there is a reference to such necklaces in the famous 18th century novel of manners "The dreams of the Red Chamber"