The Royal Aviary was a tranquil and lovely place and was often frequented by members of The Royal Family who were, for the most part, animal lovers. Inspired by the cockatoo in the Royal Aviary, King Edward VII commissioned artist Michael Perchin to design a sculpture of a cockatoo in a gold cage as a gift for Queen Alexandra. Designed by Perchin and crafted by the masters of Fabergé, this precious ornament features a very realistic cockatoo of Tiger’s Eye Quartz and rose-cut diamonds in a cage of gold and silver.
Such items were a specialty of the House of Fabergé. King Edward VII collected many such objects during his life, sometimes giving them as gifts, and more often, keeping them for himself.
1 comment:
What a peice! I have always had an interest in peices showing parrots in cages, which is odd since when my family kept a cocaktoo we never kept him in a cage. He lived on a stand (without a leg chain) and demolished peices of bread at his own chair at the dining room table.
Some parrot/birds in cage models were clockwork, designed to 'sing' when wound. I've seen an illustration of one that dates from roughly the 1880s.
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