the yellow gold mounted circular domed brooch entirely decorated with vibrant jewel-like hummingbird feathers, the green, yellow and red hues divided into triangular sections emanating from the raised gold flower head centre, the gold border pierced with arched motifs.
Jewellery using exotic hummingbird feathers was first made in England by Harry Emanuel who took out a patent for his method of using the feathers in July 1865: ‘The object of my Invention is a new manufacture of or improvement in ornaments for personal wear, according to which I apply to an useful manufacturing purpose a production not hitherto so employed. . . . For this purpose I form a setting frame, back, or mounting in gold, silver or other metallic substance or rigid material, by casting, cutting or otherwise, and in any desired shape; to this I affix feathers or plumage of birds, preferring those which are celebrated for their varied effects of colour and light; I attach them by means of shell lac, or other adhesive substance. . . . The whole may be finished off by gems or other desired ornamentation.’
Quoted from C. Gere & J. Rudoe, ‘Jewellery in the Age of Queen Victoria: A Mirror to the World’, London, British Museum, 2010, see p.226-229.
Humming bird jewels are held in the collections of the British Museum and Victoria & Albert Museum.
