Just a quick post today about something I saw and thought my audience would, likewise, be interested to see. You may remember I did a post a while back on how the 19th century feather hat industry decimated bird populations and galvanized the masses into the early conservation movement. Well, this was just a small part of a larger movement sometimes called naturalism; where people tried to bring the splendor and perfection of nature indoors. The most recognizable examples of this trend are preserved birds, posed as if alive, under glass.
Photo from the Smithsonian Institution
I have always had a fascination with this style not only because of the cultural consequences of this particular movement but also because it is so inherently morbid. I think it’s pretty ghastly to have a whole bird arranged on your head (however much I appreciate the historical context), and there is something so counter intuitive to destroying and romanticizing what you admire. And while I have seen hundreds of examples of gaudy and perfectly laughable hats featuring the most absurd arrangements of birds and bird parts, I have never seen anything like these beautifully preserved earrings.
They even come with the original box!
