Lot 4041* ♣ - A209 Out of This World - Monday, 17. June 2024, 04.00 PM
QUETZAL, THE BIRD OF THE SERPENT GOD
Pharomachrus mocinno
1950
On wooden stand
76 × 21 × 21 cm (measurements including stand)
1950
On wooden stand
76 × 21 × 21 cm (measurements including stand)
For the exportation of this item a CITES license is required. Prospective buyers should familiarize themselves with relevant customs regulations prior to bidding if they intend to import this lot into another country. For further information please contact the department.
The resplendent quetzal, Pharomachrus mocinno, is a small bird found in Central America and southern Mexico that lives in the luscious tropical forests, particularly montane cloud forests.
This species is well known for its exceptionally colourful and complex plumage that differs substantially between sexes. The males in particular possess the characteristically iridescent green plumes for which they were adored and venerated by the indigenous cultures of the central American continent.
In pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilisations, the quetzal was associated with Quetzalcoatl, a feathered, dragon-like serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds. Its scintillating green tail feathers symbolised spring plants sprouting to the Aztecs and Mayas. Mesoamerican rulers and some high-ranking nobles wore diadems created from quetzal feathers, symbolically linking them to Quetzalcoatl. In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange, and the killing of a quetzal was punishable by death.
One Mayan legend has it that a resplendent quetzal accompanied the hero, Tecún Umán, prince of the Quiché (K'iche') Maya, during his battle against the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. When Tecún, equipped with just an arrow, was pierced through his chest with a spear by the conquistador, a quetzal flew down and alighted on Tecún's body, drenching its chest in his blood. It was then that the species, which used to be completely green, obtained its characteristic red chest feathers and from this day on, the quetzal, which sang delightfully before the Spanish conquest, has been mute. The legend says it will sing anew solely when the land is fully liberated.
The antique taxidermy piece presented here is in pristine condition, with beautifully preserved feathers.
This species is well known for its exceptionally colourful and complex plumage that differs substantially between sexes. The males in particular possess the characteristically iridescent green plumes for which they were adored and venerated by the indigenous cultures of the central American continent.
In pre-Columbian Mesoamerican civilisations, the quetzal was associated with Quetzalcoatl, a feathered, dragon-like serpent and god of life, light, knowledge and the winds. Its scintillating green tail feathers symbolised spring plants sprouting to the Aztecs and Mayas. Mesoamerican rulers and some high-ranking nobles wore diadems created from quetzal feathers, symbolically linking them to Quetzalcoatl. In ancient Mayan culture, the quetzal feathers were considered so precious that they were even used as a medium of exchange, and the killing of a quetzal was punishable by death.
One Mayan legend has it that a resplendent quetzal accompanied the hero, Tecún Umán, prince of the Quiché (K'iche') Maya, during his battle against the Spanish conquistador Pedro de Alvarado. When Tecún, equipped with just an arrow, was pierced through his chest with a spear by the conquistador, a quetzal flew down and alighted on Tecún's body, drenching its chest in his blood. It was then that the species, which used to be completely green, obtained its characteristic red chest feathers and from this day on, the quetzal, which sang delightfully before the Spanish conquest, has been mute. The legend says it will sing anew solely when the land is fully liberated.
The antique taxidermy piece presented here is in pristine condition, with beautifully preserved feathers.
CHF 4 000 / 8 000 | (€ 4 120 / 8 250)
Sold for CHF 5 625 (including buyer’s premium)
All information is subject to change.