LATE 19TH CENTURY

Details

**A KINGFISHER FEATHER 'JEWEL'-ENCRUSTED HEADDRESS, FENG TIAN
Late 19th century
The black, flat-crowned headress formed of a wired, black ribbon base with a broad curved forehead band, elaborately decorated with delicate spring-mounted motifs inlaid with kingfisher feathers and embellished with jadeite, amethyst, coral, and other semiprecious materials, forming a camellia surrounded by phoenix, bats, butterfly, and flowers on the top, and three similar medallions on the front, with beaded tassels suspended from the edge
9½in. (24.2cm.) across

Provenance

Estate of Edward J. Grassman, Elizabeth, New Jersey, Sotheby's, New York, 20 June, 1978, lot 227.
Sotheby's, New York, 9 and 10 October, 1987, lot 88.

Special notice

Notice Regarding the Sale of Material from Endangered Species. Prospective purchasers are advised that several countries prohibit the importation of property containing materials from endangered species, including but not limited to coral, ivory and tortoiseshell. Accordingly, prospective purchasers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country.

Lot Essay

The tiny kingfisher bird was prized for its iridescent blue feathers, which were used to create headdresses and hair ornaments for the exclusive use of court women during the 18th and 19th centuries. The elaborate grouping of decorations on the present headdress imitates the look of numerous hairpins arranged in an elegant upswept coiffure. Compare a similar example, circa 1880, illustrated by L. Wrigglesworth, The Accessory, London, 1991, p. 7.

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