Drum-Form Birdcage with Faux Branches

c. 1850
$780 USD SOLD
Dimensions
H: 26.5" Dia: 14.0"
Materials
Materials
Wood
Bamboo
Porcelain
Metal
Collection #
CFC448
Estimated Shipping
$200

This delicate wooden birdcage was once home to the tiny pet bird of a Qing-dynasty aristocrat. Dated to the mid-19th century, this drum-shaped cage is carefully assembled of thin bamboo rods and bent bamboo strips carved with geometric scrollwork. The cage opens by a removable base and a sliding door on one side. The birdcage hangs from a large metal hook, decorated with tiny mice and vines and secured by a wooden base carved to resemble bamboo stalks. The interior is fitted with several wooden perches textured with sand and grit to add traction and simulate tree bark. A petite porcelain cup for holding water and birdseed is affixed to the side of the cage, decorated in a cobalt blue glaze. A fantastic collector's item, we love this large birdcage as a storied sculptural object or the new home for a feathered friend.

From the collection of Frances and Gary Comer.

Porcelain water pots and other accessories will be packaged separately during shipping.

Due to its fragility, this item is only available via white glove delivery or local pickup.

Questions? Ask us
The Homes of Chinese Songbirds

Bird-keeping was a popular pastime throughout the Qing dynasty and inspired its own material culture of beautiful cages and fine accessories. Carried around from place to place, luxurious songbird cages were as much an accessory as they were a functional object.

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