A feather of New Zealand’s now-extinct huia bird has been auctioned for a staggering NZD$46,521.50, approximately ₹23 lakh. That makes it the world’s most expensive feather ever sold at auction.
Based on the latest information provided by Gold Broker, the feather weighs about 9 grams, which makes it much more costly than gold.
Leah Morris, Webb’s Auction House’s Head of Decorative Arts, told BBC that the feather was in excellent condition.”There was no insect damage, and it still has that very distinct sheen to it,” she continued.Morris added that in order to guarantee the feather’s “extremely long life,” the auction house’s officials protected it from UV light by covering it with archival paper.
Florence S Fournier, the decorative arts specialist at the auction house, claimed that the huia bird feather was almost 100 years old, reported Morning Report. It arrived from a private collection, she added. “It’s been with the vendor for some time, and they now feel it’s time to move it on so some other person can enjoy it.”
The feather broke the previous record for another feather from the same bird species by 450%, according to Webb’s Auction House. The Guardian claims that the huia bird was New Zealand’s largest species of wattlebird. It was distinguished by its glossy black feathers, white-coated tail feathers at the tip, and melodious singing.
In 1907, the final Huia bird was observed within the nation. Nonetheless, it’s thought that they persisted on Earth until the 1920s, at the latest.
For Māori natives, the bird held great significance and it was always mentioned in songs and sayings. A headpiece made from the huia bird’s feather was allowed to be worn only by the Maori chiefs. When European settlers arrived in New Zealand, this bird was already rare, according to The Guardian. And their obsession with its feathers ultimately caused the extinction of the huia bird.
