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• Auction House:
  Webb's
• Sale Name:
  Improbable Gifts for Impossible People
• Sale Date:
  18 Oct 2012 ~ 7pm (NZ time)
• Lot #:
  42
• Lot Description:
  The Cape
  Prestigious, Rare Feather Shoulder Cape. This rather mysterious cape has generated remarkable debate internationally from some of the worlds leading tribal art thinkers. There appears to be no conclusive opinion as to the origins of the piece. With only approximately 140 examples worldwide (refer TePapa) debate has raged for decades as to where these beautiful capes come from. Some say they are Hawaiian, others believe they are of British origin. Having been inspired by the tragic visit of the Hawaiian royal family in 1824 which saw the King die of the flu. Another convincing school of thought supports the theory that they were a style of shoulder cape produced by the North American Indian. Semicircular, made to fit around the neck and to extend slightly over the shoulders. Long tabs attach to the front edge of the cape, tapering to round ends and terminating below the waist. External foundation is finely sized muslin cotton. Various genera of feathers attached in imbricate rows following the contour of the cape and arranged in crescent and triangular motifs in strong formation. Fine thread used to tack each feather shaft at two places in continuous zigzag stitch. Internal lining is coarser muslin with concentric rows of white down tufts attached. Circa 1820 - 1840. Origins unknown. From semicircular base to end of tabs 560mm, neckline to base of semicircular base 300mm.
• Provenance:
  Private collection, UK.
• Estimate:
  NZ$8,000 - 12,000
• Realised Price:
  *****
  

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• Category:
  Clothing & Dressing Accessories

This Sale has been held and this item is no longer available. Details are provided for information purposes only.