Drum-Form Birdcage with Faux Branches

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.