1910 Antique Hummingbird Brooch | Dual Gold, Diamonds, Rubies & Hand-Painted Enamel

Description

Birds and floral motifs were essential themes in 19th–20th century European jewelry, much like the symbolic flowers in Chinese culture—plum blossoms, orchids, bamboo, and chrysanthemums—each carrying profound meaning.

During this period, London was the center of Europe’s feather trade. British jewelers often used hummingbirds as design motifs for brooches and hat pins. Since the publication of The Natural History and Antiquities of Selborne (1789) by Gilbert White, the English public had developed a passionate interest in birdwatching. By the late 19th century, the hummingbird became one of the most fashionable symbols in jewelry, celebrated for its beauty, agility, and spirit.

At the 1867 International Exposition, jeweler Henri Vever recorded that the Rovinant family’s hummingbird brooches were so admired that their first pieces were purchased by the King of Prussia (later Kaiser Wilhelm II) and Napoleon III himself. The Duchess of Aosta and several noble families soon followed. The Egyptian governor Isma’il Pasha alone acquired 38 of these exquisite creations—marking the height of Europe’s fascination with nature-inspired jewelry.