On offer is this beautiful Antique Chinese Qing Kingfisher Feather Moth Pendant Brooch featuring a three dimensional high relief design with a C clasp that opens and closes tightly. Made of 800 coin silver with copper spiral feelers on the gorgeous Moth. There is a tiny loss of feathers as conducive to it's very great age. The chain is not included. This is a pendant brooch with the bail incorporated into the top of the Moth's head. Size: 2.5 inches long x 1.5 inches wide. The lacquer used to glue the feathers has achieved a glowing aged patina. The brooch rollover clasp appears to have been soldered on the back of the brooch at a later period. A must for the serious collector because this piece is in very nice condition.
Kingfisher art as a high art form came to an end during the Chinese Revolution in the 1940s.
Tian-tsui (traditional: 點翠, simplified: 点翠, pinyin: diǎncuì, "dotting with kingfishers") is a style of Chinese art featuring kingfisher feathers. For 2,000 years, the Chinese have been using the iridescent blue feathers of kingfisher birds as an inlay for fine art objects and adornment, from hairpins, headdresses, and fans to panels and screens. Kingfisher art was relatively unknown outside of China.
Kingfisher feathers were painstakingly cut and glued onto gilt silver. The effect is like cloisonné, but no enamel was able to rival the electric blue color.