Rare Huia Feather Up For Auction

17 May

Monday 20 May, 6.30pm – Webb’s Mount Eden Gallery

Within a catalogue brimming with incredible art and objects sourced from around the world, one of the most impressive items in Webb’s upcoming Material Culture sale is a rare remain from the now-extinct huia bird: a single feather expected to fetch up to $3,000.

Webb’s is holding a live auction of material culture — art, craft, and designs from indigenous peoples — on Monday 20 May at 6.30pm. The sale includes a beautifully preserved, rare and highly coveted feather from the now-extinct huia bird which is expected to reach anywhere between $2,000 – $3,000.

These tail feathers were used by high-ranking chiefs and their whānau in pre-European times and their popularity increased after their arrival, partially leading to the bird’s demise.

This auction also includes objects from diverse regions of the world, including Aotearoa, Africa, Australia, Asia, South America, Melanesia, and Polynesia.

View Auction Catalogue

“This rare huia feather is a beautiful example of Aotearoa’s natural history and reminds us of the fragility of our ecosystem. It is in excellent condition and serves as a reminder of Māori’s enduring kaitiakitanga and deep respect for the natural world that surrounds us.” –Leah Morris, Head of Decorative Arts

The huia was a small endemic New Zealand songbird of the wattlebird family and was known for its jumping abilities and beautiful plumage. In pre-contact times, high ranking individuals would wear huia’s tail feathers in their hair but eventually, the blue-green metallic sheen of these items became more widely popularised among Maōri and Pākehā.

Huia feathers are highly prized, amongst the most expensive feathers in the world. The huia feathers were valued highly and were often exchanged for other coveted goods such as pounamu and shark teeth, or given as tokens of friendship and respect. They were stored in intricately carved boxes called waka huia, which were hung from rafters and whose craft has gone on to influence contemporary expressions of industrial and architectural design in New Zealand. Through this trade the feathers reached far north and far south of Aotearoa.

The tail feathers became popular amongst Pākehā in Britain when the Duke of York was pictured wearing a huia feather in his hat during a visit in 1901. This popularity was partly responsible for the avian’s extinction. The last reported sighting is said to have been sometime between 1907 and 1920.

The feather is a Y-registered object, meaning Manatū Taonga Ministry of Culture & Heritage, Auckland War Memorial Museum Tāmaki Paenga Hira hold a permanent record of the item recognising its importance, meaning it can only be purchased by registered collectors and not leave New Zealand without express permission from the Ministry of Culture & Heritage.

This huia feather has generated significant press interest, including with RNZ, StuffNZ, NZHerald, 1News and ThreeNews.