Kingfisher Feather Headdress and Four Hairpins, China, 19th century, semicircular headdress with flat back, decorated with gilt-brass openwork filigree in the shapes of phoenixes and flowers, covered with conforming kingfisher feather cutouts, jeweled with precious gemstones, jadeite, tourmaline, and pearly beads, over a wickered frame of satin bands, five three-string beaded pendants to the back (now all detached); and two pairs of brass hairpins, each with an openwork phoenix finial and a four-string beaded pendant, (now all detached except one), headdress ht. 10 1/4, wd. 13 1/2, pendants lg. to 9 7/8, pins lg. to 9 3/4 in.
Estimate $3,000-5,000

extensive losses of feathered details, some losses, deformations to metalwork details, traces of repairs, minor surface dirt, with boxes of loose beads, detached metal works, and carved stone pieces, minor tarnishing to brass.


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