A Pretty c.1900 Spherical Brass Bird Cage

SOLD
Origin: English
Period: Victorian/Edwardian
Provenance: Unknown
Date: c.1900-15
Height: 18.5 inches the cage or 31 inches with hanging chains
Diameter: 14 inches or Base Diameter: 9.75 inches

The early twentieth century spherical bird cage in brass having twin feeding trays and central swing below three chain pendant loop, the bottom section being detachable from the top for cleaning purposes, held together by four ratchet pins, the whole in un-cleaned and original condition.

The cage itself is in fairly good overall order considering its age. There is no major damage to note that means the cage functions as it should and she is in totally original condition with the perch, tray, and latched door all original and in working order. The only condition issues to note would be that she has not been cleaned for some time (we like this), and that the lower mesh is coming away very slightly to the brass edgings. There are knocks and scuffs to the brass as you would expect but if cleaned it would come up well.

Birdcages such as this were often built to represent monumental buildings, such as the Taj Mahal, the Eiffel Tower or a Georgian mansion. At one point, parrots were only housed in these 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.

We like the spherical shape and original condition of this and it proves a very pretty example of its type.
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