The research on the Chinese traditional feather marquetry was conducted in 2014 during a residency at the Inside Out Art Museum in Beijing, China. The technic consists of fixing natural feathers (undyed only) to a support, one by one, with the help of a small brush and traditional glue made of animal and vegetal components.
To make this collar fastening, I used FengHuang – a gracious and altruistic bird who brings quietude and good fortune to anyone who glimpses it – as inspiration. In Chinese mythology, the very symbolic description of this imaginary bird bears comparisons to five existing birds: the crane, the rooster, the duck, the peacock and the pheasant. It is also said that its plumage is made of the five colours that represent harmony: blue, red, yellow, green and white.
This feather marquetry has therefore been created with natural feathers of those five birds in those five colours. The collar fastenings’ clasp can move, allowing the FengHuang to swing when its wearer moves allowing the ever-changing plumage to play with the light.
Collar fastening. Natural (undyed) feathers of crane, rooster, duck, peacock and pheasant, casted rice paper pulp, steel, silver.