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Feather Plume - Artifacts

Description
Feather plume with jade handle Long shafted feather is wrapped with red thread at base, additionally wrapped in red paper, and inserted into a yellowish-white colored jade handle carved into a curved rectangular shape. The jade handle has a notch at the bottom with a hole carved through, to allow the plume to be tied to the top of an official's hat. The top of the feather plume contains green and yellow shafts which look like peacock. See: A.C. Scott, "Chinese Costume in Transition", 1958, pp. 22-24. "A form of hat decoration was the plume or feather, of which the best known was the peacock feather...A distinction awarded for merit. It was an order or decoration conferred as a reward for distinguished public service or as a mark of Imperial favor. It was nnot necessarily the prerogative of every official as is sometimes thought. The fact that towards the end of the Ch'ing dynasty it was possible for officials to purchase the right to wear the most common order of the peacock feather probably gave rise to its misunderstanding...The peacock feather was approximately one foot long...plumes were attached in a small jade tube, fixed to the crown of the hat and worn so that the feather protruded obliquely downwards over the brim of the hat at the rear." Note: Included in miscellaneous notes and fragments tucked into the accession ledger was a small card with the following information: 6-94 M. Marshall For auction - or collection? This was a "peacock feather" that conquering genrals wore in their hats. Jade handle. Brought from China by family that started hospitals in universitys in the 1800's.
Object ID
1997.052.002