Pair of Appliqué Paper Pictures in the Form of Caged African Parrots, circa 1800

View Similar Items

Chinese Watercolor of a Sampan on Paper, circa 1800

Pair of Decorative Parrot Paintings, France, circa 1920s

Pair of Primitive Portraits of Children, circa 1800

Architect William Chambers Portrait after Joshua Reynolds, circa 1800

Parrots in the Jungle Haitian Oil Painting

Jephthah the Gileadite Returning Home, circa 1800

Acrylic Painting on Canvas of Two Parrots in the Rain

Pair of Antique Botanical Pictures of Exotic Flowers and Butterflies

Pair of 19' century Chinese Reverse-Painted Mirror Pictures

Regency Portrait of a Dandy, circa 1800-1815

Pair of 19th Century Chinese Reverse-Painted Mirror Pictures

Pair of Miniature Portraits in Giltwood Frames

1 of 9

Pair of Appliqué Paper Pictures in the Form of Caged African Parrots, circa 1800

About the Item

The beautiful and possibly unique, pair of opposing paper appliqué pictures of African parrots, each hand colored in paper and perching on water-color/gouache branches, the birds behind gilded threads mimicking the bars of a cage, each being glazed and with faux leather borders and surviving from the first quarter of the nineteenth century, and more than likely from Italy. The pictures do have some areas of and loss to faux leather borders, as per the photographs, and one of the hanging hooks is a later replacement. The glass appears to be original and the colors to the birds are still vivid. There is some discoloration to the lower base sections with some water-marks. Overall they remain very attractive in their entirety. Although quite similar in technique to rolled paper or quillwork pieces we can’t find anything quite the same as these works in this style. Birds were kept all too often in cages at this period of time; at one point, parrots were only housed in fanciful cages to roost. Ornamented and structurally lavish cages became popular among the noble classes in Europe around the 14th century. Experts and collectors agree that of these early cages, the most talented artisans were the French and the Dutch. In France, a guild of cage makers was licensed and chartered by royalty to fabricate cages generally made of iron or brass wire. These guilds of artisans made cages specifically for male and female songbirds. At the same time, in other areas of the world, cages were being built out of bamboo, wicker, wood, rattan and reed. These pictures are a charming attempt to replicate the idea of keeping an exotic bird, but without the upkeep. Rare, unusual, and probably unique, this pair provides the perfect alternative to caging the real thing, and far more original they are too.

Dimensions:
Height: 15.5 in (39.37 cm)Width: 9.75 in (24.77 cm)Depth: 1.25 in (3.18 cm)
Sold As:
Set of 2
Style:
George III (Of the Period)
Materials and Techniques:
Cut Glass,Paper
Place of Origin:
Italy
Period:
Early 19th Century
Date of Manufacture:
circa 1800-1830
Condition:
Minor losses. Minor structural damages. Please see description for full condition report and photographs for visual reference.
Seller Location:
Bedford, GB
Reference Number:
Seller: 16881stDibs: LU194438685603